Doomed to Fail
by MelyBelle44
Summary: AU: Penelope McKinnon is a good girl. She's been a respectable daughter, a model citizen, and all-around sweetheart. How can her unlikely friendship with a relative stranger change things entirely? OmahaVerse
1. Prologue

She woke up in her bed and smiled. She felt a sense of warmth: her trusty lab Beeker snuggled up to and laying on top of her legs. This was how she awoke most mornings in recent memory, cuddled up with her pup keeping her all warm and toasty. As she also did most mornings, she stretched her arms out.

This morning, however, as she stretched, her right arm collided with a firm body. She reached her other arm down and felt her naked form beneath her, and struggled not to curse out loud. She closed her eyes as the memories of the night before all came flooding back to her. How could she have even possibly forgotten?

She carefully moved her hand back. She slowly turned her head, worried that any movement may wake her bed companion. She just wanted to make sure she wasn't imagining things. Sure enough, out of the corner of her eye, she saw his body and the unmistakable hair on his head. She closed her eyes again, trying to formulate a plan of action.

She decided she would just go back to sleep and hope that he would awaken soon, and skulk out of her apartment without wanting to talk to her. She carefully turned on her side, with her back facing him. Her eyes flew open, as she felt him scoot up against her, and rest his arm over her waist. She felt his breath on the back of her neck. She didn't dare move, however. She just hoped that he was moving in his sleep.

Those hopes were dashed as she heard a husky voice speak into her ear: "Last night was amazing, Kitten."

She stared straight ahead. Not all that long ago, they had agreed this wasn't a good idea. They had agreed to end things. They hadn't even lasted a week.

* * *

_Hey guys! Just wanted to give everyone a taste of my new story. It may be anywhere from a week or two before this story is up and running, as I am still working on the conclusion to Steps. But, an idea popped into my head for my next story, and I just couldn't wait to type it out. So, I hope you look forward to it!_

_Just so you know, this story is AU, and the characters are very much OOC. I will be trying to fill it with little hidden Easter Eggs of allusions to the character's canon personalities, but for the most part, you are dealing with very OOC people. Also, the themes in this story will be very difficult. They will reflect things that I do not necessarily agree with on a personal or moral level. But, that's what it is fan fiction, right?_

_I certainly do not mind constructive criticism. I welcome it. That said, please refrain from "They would never ever do that!" and "I can't believe you are promoting such an awful thing! That's just wrong!" Because, I am warning you that it is OOC and that it may not be the most ethical story out there. If you want to read it, great! If it bothers your moral sensibilities, and you can't read it, I totally understand. _


	2. Warning

Hello! I have decided to make this story rated T, as I am sure it contains nothing a teenager has never been exposed to before.

But, please be aware that there will be some darker themes in this story, as well as some morality conflicts that will probably make some people, myself included, uncomfortable.

If it contains situations that you or someone you know has gone through, and it hits a nerve, my apologies ahead of time. I certainly don't mean to trivialize some very serious issues.

It is AU, but please let me preface this. Alternate Universe is somewhat confusing for me. Using the very term "Alternate" indicates that you are acknowledging that there is a Canon Universe in regards to your story. Now, I know what is on the show is Canon. But, what I mean is...it's not like in my story there is the Canon Universe and then this occurs in some alternate dimension somewhere, coexisting with the canon timeline. (I didn't invent the alternate dimensions. They're there.) No, in this story, Sheldon the physicist and Penny the waitress never existed. There is no Pasadena. There is no CalTech. There is no Howard or Raj or Leonard. The story will operate as a stand-alone story, in which these two characters only ever existed in Omaha, Nebraska.

And, that's that.


	3. So It Begins

_As always, I do not own TBBT_

* * *

Penelope McKinnon sat in the audience beside her mom and dad. She was nothing particularly special. She hadn't graduated as valedictorian of her high school class; she had no real measurable musical talent; she was athletic, but there was no specific sport that she was overly gifted in. She was average.

Slightly taller than average. Average body type. Average shoe size. Average average average. Except for her large hands. There was nothing average about her hands.

No, she was nothing special. Except, she was extraordinarily special.

Anyone who knew her knew what a rare person she was. She had never been in any kind of trouble, never even gotten a speeding ticket. She had never tried smoking or drugs. She didn't even have a drink of alcohol until her 21st birthday, except for one sip of champagne she had tried at her cousin Margot's wedding because it would have been impolite not to toast (and she was ridiculously polite). She could count on one hand the times she had been buzzed, and had only been truly drunk once.

She volunteered. She donated blood. She picked up people's mail for them when they went out of town.

Perhaps the largest testament to her character could be attested to by her own parents. While she had chosen not to go to college, she was bright and charming and had her whole life ahead of her. Her father was getting up in age, and it had been getting more and more difficult for him to work the fields on their property. After a three month mission trip to the Honduras right after she had graduated from high school, she came home and moved into the detached garage that had been converted into an apartment-like space for her.

Without having ever been asked, she started to work on the family farm, helping her father keep productivity steady, without tiring himself out. Her mother worked part-time, and Penelope also took care of housework and cooking when her mom wasn't able to. She was never asked. She never complained.

This left her with no _actual_ income. Which was fine, because she had no _actual_ expenses. Her parents took care of her car and insurance payments. They also issued her a credit card attached to their account, for groceries, clothing, and other incidentals. She was responsible, so they never worried that she would go overboard. And, of course, she never did. In fact, each month, she presented them with her receipts in chronological order, including a sheet of handwritten notes, explaining any purchases that were not clear by the receipts themselves. She worked on the farm and they took care of her costs. They considered it a fair exchange.

Only her close friends and family knew that she was a veritable noob when it came to the dating circuit. She had been on three or four dates. She had never dated anyone more than once and never had a serious boyfriend. She just had never had the time. It should have been easy to deduce, but many people didn't realize that she was very naïve when it came to relationships- she had done nothing more than kissing. She hadn't gotten serious enough with anyone to get remotely that far. And, she wasn't the kind of girl that would do that, unless she really cared about the guy.

Most people probably thought she was fighting off gentlemen callers. She had pleasantly broad shoulders and hips. Her size was healthy. Nothing about her was toned or rock-hard; she was fleshed out. But, she was healthy. She had freckles dotting her face and shoulders, no doubt from working out in the hot Omaha sun. Her skin was a light organic tan, and her honey colored hair was always styled naturally. She didn't waste a lot of time on her appearance.

She was a true-to-life Mary Sue. If someone read her in a book or saw her on a screen, they would find her completely unrelatable, and probably be annoyed by her to no end. But, as it was, she was very real and very genuine and it was hard to find anyone who didn't like Penny.

It makes what happened in the weeks to come all that harder to believe.

* * *

Penny saw the couple walk in, just as any other week. She didn't know when it happened, but she started to notice the man. She reasoned that he bore a striking resemblance to her favorite character on her favorite TV show.

After all, her family had started attending the Omaha Theatric Symphony on a weekly basis over three years earlier, and the couple was regulars when they started coming. Yet, out of nowhere, she noticed him. She noticed his salt-and-pepper colored hair, his strong jawline, his stiff and deliberate walk.

The Omaha Theatric Symphony performed music set to people acting out scenes from familiar movies and television shows in pantomime. It was held in the largest entertainment center in the city, but in a smaller theater, with approximately 250 seats. There was a different performance each Saturday evening, with occasional special shows throughout the year. Three years prior, her parents had invested in season tickets, and they had been regular attendees ever since.

It was an intimate enough setting that she started to recognize certain people from week to week. Yet, there were always new faces in the crowd as well.

Within the last few weeks, she found herself very in tune with the presence of this stranger. When they would sit behind her, she could feel the precise moment they walked in and she felt his eyes on the back of her head. He invaded her dreams at night, and this disturbed her. Above all, there was a strange sense of familiarity with the man. It wasn't as if she had met him before and she felt like she_ should_ know him. She knew she hadn't. No, the sensation was such that she felt like she already _did_ know him, without ever speaking a word.

Penny had conditioned herself to stop her eyes from rolling at the inevitable butterflies in her stomach each week.

* * *

Dr. Sheldon Cooper's wife spotted some seats toward the front of the theater. There was a specific spot in the theater that he preferred himself. It was toward the back on the left hand side. He just thought things sounded better there. But, he wasn't picky, so he followed his wife to their seats.

He faced forward the entire walk down the aisle, except for one brief moment, not even half a second. He turned his head to the side, and at the exact same time, the young lady looked up at him and their eyes met. How was it they were always doing this? How were they so in synch, that they knew to turn their eyes at the exact same moment?

As they settled in, his mind drifted to the girl. At 54, he was probably over twice her age, old enough to be her father. And yet, when their gazes crossed, it didn't feel like a father-daughter thing. It felt like…chemistry.

He had always noticed her, as long as her parents and she had been coming to the shows. But, it was only recently that he began to see her as a woman. She had a very interesting sense of style. Most nights, she wore an appropriate pair of slacks or skirt and a nice blouse. Sometimes she showed up in jeans and a sweatshirt. A handful of times a year, she would really do herself up quite nicely. He had noticed that the times she really got dolled up happened to coincide with the times of the year that colleges were on breaks and over summer vacation. Perhaps she knew there would be more men her age in the audience during those times, and she was hoping to garner attention? Mostly, he wondered why he noticed this about her at all.

A couple of weeks ago, he had been eating at a local café with a couple of associates and he saw her walk in. She had a pick-up order waiting for her, and he found himself disappointed for some reason. He saw her immediately and couldn't peel his eyes off her the entire time. She was a mess. She had on a pair of leggings, some boots, a long t-shirt with holes in it, a hoodie, and her hair was unceremoniously on top of her head in a rushed 'do. Ah, the carelessness of youth, he had thought to himself.

That very weekend, she had arrived at the symphony in a stunning red dress. It was classy and didn't reveal too much. But, it hugged her upper torso just enough to see her form, yet loosely draped her body. He had noticed the bold hue of her lips and her smoldering eyes. Even though in his mind he referred to her as a "girl," she was indeed very much a woman.

Each time he saw her, he tried to convince himself that it was some sort of midlife crisis, that he was regretting not ever having a daughter. He was seeing a girl that would be close to the age of a daughter, if he had ever had one and somehow, he was formulating a bond to her. Yes, that was it. There was just no other explanation.

Soon, he would learn just how wrong he was.


	4. Trilogy

_Don't own BBT. Rinse and repeat._

_I am going to try to break these down into some shorter chapters, so hopefully updates will be coming at you at a pretty frequent pace. Still, I appreciate any and all feedback, so if even if the story is up to Chapter 7, and you are just now getting caught up on it, and you have Feedback for Chapter 2 or 3 or 4, please feel free to leave me a message._

* * *

One particular week, there was a visiting acting troupe, who was offering a special three-night performance on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. They would be performing the _Dark Knight_ trilogy, with each evening representing each movie.

The performances were included with the season pass, and Penny loved those movies, so it was a no-brainer that she would attend all three nights.

Her father was unable to go on Thursday, so she and her mother went by themselves. They actually were running a little behind, so they got to the theater right on time and slid into the first open seats they saw.

The auditorium itself was divided into three sections, with two aisles running from the front to back on either side. They found seats in the center section, and Penny spent a couple of minutes catching her breath, as she was fatigued from the rush from the car to the theater.

She looked to her left, and saw sitting in the left hand section of the audience, the mystery man and his wife. They were sitting about five rows in front of her, but with the way the seats were situated, they faced inward. He looked up and caught her eye, and she saw what was the faintest trace of a smile.

She didn't think about it much the rest of the evening, as the performance was the best of the year by far. She was completely in love with the music, the movements, the lighting (or lack thereof). As an audience member, you _became_ a citizen of Gotham City. You didn't just _see_ people go crazy; you were transported to the Arkham Asylum and experienced it _yourself_.

By the end, she was eager for the rest of the series right then. She could have stayed there all night to watch and not batted an eye. She and her mother made their way out to the car. Once they got inside, she looked out the passenger side mirror and saw the man and his wife coming up behind them to walk to their own car.

She felt a sting from seeing them walk together. She had never seen them be affectionate. He never laid an arm around her shoulder. They never held hands. She had never even seen him lean down to whisper in her ear during the show. And yet, as they walked together, they were a very cute couple.

In fact, she had never seen them apart. They were always together. The only time she had seen them away from the symphony was at Target one day, grocery shopping, and sure enough, they shopped together too.

She was a very lovely lady, and she wished there was something to dislike about the woman, but there just wasn't. She seemed very nice. She was also quite pretty. She had aged with grace; Penny noticed that as women got older, they tended to drift toward two groups: they aged terribly from years of hard living and looked about 75 at age 50. Or, they went way overboard with makeup and/or surgery to try to re-capture their youth and failed miserably. His wife fell into an elusive third group. She looked her age, and was naturally attractive.

The sting was short lived, as out of the corner of her eye, she saw her mother wave as they passed. As she looked out her window, she was startled to see him informally wave back. She felt confused. This man whom she had always seen as having a sharp personality, a stiff upper lip, and such rigid movements…he had behaved so casually, it stunned her.

She didn't waste a second before asking her mother. "You know them?"

"Yeah."

"_You know them?_ _How do you know them?_" Immediately, Penny caught her tone and tried to rectify the conversation. "I mean, how do you know _anybody_ really? I just always see you and dad waving at people and think, 'Gosh, do they know everybody?'"

She looked out of the corner of her eye to see if her mom bought her cover-up. Her mother answered. "Well, she used to be Lana Cartwright. She lived down the street from us growing up. And, well, he's a Cooper."

"That's _it_? He's a Cooper?"

"Yes."

"You don't even know his name, all you know is '_he's a Cooper_?' That's doesn't mean you know him."

"Well…"

"I'm just saying, he waved like he knew you."

"Well, I waved at her, and he must have seen me and waved back to be polite."

Irritation crept into Penny's voice. "It did not seem like a polite wave; it seemed like he knew you. All I'm saying is why would you wave at someone the way he did if you don't really _know_ the person?"

Her mother regarded her with a baffled look in her eyes. "Are you okay?"

Penny knew that she was coming across as wound rather tightly. "Yeah, I'm fine. I just think it is silly when people pretend to know people when they don't know them at all."

That was the last word, and they rode home in relative silence. There was still a nagging feeling inside her head. Why did it bother her that they were such a cute couple?

* * *

The next day, she arrived at the auditorium rather early. Unfortunately, her parents had previous plans to meet some friends from out of town, so she was on her own. But, that definitely was not going to keep her from missing the interpretation of her favorite movie of the three.

A family came in and chose the row in which she was sitting. The family included a rather handsome guy. He was about 6'4 with curly brown hair. He looked to be in his early 20's. All of the sudden, she felt very awkward. She couldn't keep her feet still, and she continually shifted her hands, hoping to find a natural position for them.

That all faded away as she became completely engrossed in the concert. It was every bit as exciting as she had anticipated. The music indicating the Joker's presence was spot on. There was even a really cool effect, during the boat hostage scene. They had four actors, two on either side of the stage: on one side they were dressed in prison garb. On the other side, they looked well-to-do. Then, they had spotlights set up to shine down on two sides of the audience, indicating each side was one of the boats. When her side of the crowd was lit, ominous music came on, as she was on the prisoners' side. When the lights switched to the other side, the music was more frantic. She couldn't wait to tell her parents all about it.

She hadn't even thought of the older gentleman a single time.

* * *

But, _he_ had seen _her_. She was sitting alone tonight, and this fact caused conflicting emotions inside him. On one hand, he was sad that she was all alone. On the other, that meant she was probably not seeing anyone.

But, why would he care about that? He didn't care about that. He _shouldn't_ care about that.

Sheldon stayed focused on the spectacle in front of him, but on a couple of occasions, his eyes had drifted to the blonde girl. Her eyes were transfixed on the stage as if in awe. This convinced him that more than anything, he saw her as the child he never had. And that was it. That was _it_.

Yet, as the performance was drawing to a close, his heartbeat sped up when he looked over and saw her mouthing word for word Batman and Commissioner Gordon's dialogue at the end of _The Dark Knight_ along with the music.

_I killed those people. That's what I can be…A hero. Not the hero we deserved but the hero we needed…You'll hunt me. You'll condemn me…Sometimes people deserve to have their faith rewarded._

With each movement of her mouth, his heart sank into his stomach. He couldn't explain the feelings he had for this girl, but they scared the daylights out of him.

...

He walked with his wife to the car. As he pulled the handle to open the car door, he looked up and to his right; she was walking right toward him. It was mostly dark, but he had parked near one of the overhead lights in the parking lot. As she walked their way, he saw the light gleaming in her brilliant green eyes. And had her lips always been so round?

He was thankful Lana was already in the car, because when he looked up at her, she very distinctly let her eyes linger against his and smirked at him, before looking down and walking right by. He slid into his seat and watched her get into her car, directly in front of him.

She was driving a little blue Prius, with a "Huskers Football" decal on the back window. For some crazy reason, knowing the car that she drove created a thrill inside him, like he was learning a little bit more about her. She clearly liked Nebraska football. Was she an environmentalist? Was her favorite color blue?

Why on earth did he want to know more about her?

* * *

She made her way toward the aisle. Then, she saw a black and gray head of hear with a very familiar style walk by, but others were blocking him. She hadn't thought of him the entire night, and then, there he was, and he was _all_ she could think about. In fact, she found herself moving quickly, stretching on her tiptoes to look past the curly haired boy, to watch the older gentleman go.

She thought to herself that she was definitely going crazy to be completely ignoring a young handsome guy just for a glimpse of an older married guy.

She was walking across the parking lot toward her car. She briefly looked down to place the program in her purse, and when she looked up, she saw that the couple had parked directly behind her in a very classic black Lexus. As she got closer, he turned his head and looked directly at her.

She tried to give her best friendly smile, but she didn't want to seem too enthusiastic. As soon as she passed him, she knew that the smile hadn't come across friendly at all. In fact, the slight curl of the corner of her lips could very well be seen as flirtatious.

She settled into her car seat, and tried to gather herself for a moment. She exhaled a very long breath that she probably had been holding from the moment she saw him standing by his car until just now. And, her heart was beating wildly in her chest.

She buckled her safety belt and turned on the ignition. "This is not good," she said to herself.


	5. In the Mirror

_Do I own Big Bang? No. Do I wish I did? Yes._

* * *

It was expected that this would be the biggest show of the year, so people were advised to arrive early. Penny decided if this was the to-do that people were anticipating it would be, she would go all out.

She slipped on a deep purple cocktail dress. It had one shoulder and ruching around the waist. It was not skin-tight (it was a personal rule that she never wore anything she couldn't walk or sit in comfortably) but it was form fitting for her. She clipped her hair up into a loose French bun.

She glanced into the mirror. _This_ was Penny. This was the face she wanted guys to fall for. The flaws and imperfections were what made her her. What was the point of having natural beauty if you were always covering it up? Still, she didn't mind getting made up every once in a while, so she started the process by dabbing some cover up on her cheeks.

Ten minutes of smoothing, brushing, and touching up later, she looked ready for a night out on the town. For a final touch, she applied a coat of plum colored gloss to her lips.

Not bad, she appraised.

Before heading out the door, she slipped on a pair of silver sequined flats. She double checked herself in the mirror hanging in her living room, and then locked the door behind her.

...

She walked over to the main house and right in the front door which was unlocked. Her mother was waiting at the base of the stairs.

"Wow, Penny you look great! New dress?"

"Nah, it's been hanging in my closet for a while. Never had an occasion to wear it."

Her mother looked down and frowned at her feet. "Oh, come on. Don't you think heels would look much better with that dress?"

"You're probably right about that."

"Then, why didn't you wear those cute strappy heels I bought for you? You know, the ones that haven't been out of their box in about fifty years?"

"Well, let's see. What would look better? These shoes and sitting in the theater? Or those heels and lying in the back of an ambulance?"

Her mother shook her head. "Well, either way dear, you look lovely. If I didn't know you, I'd think you have a date."

"Who's got a date?" her father gruffly asked, coming down the stairs. He was adjusting his tie, making a production of it like it was strangling him.

Penny joined him at the bottom of the steps. "I do. And, he is the handsomest guy in that whole place," she linked her arm though his.

"Wyatt," he mother added dryly, "I hope you aren't _too_ offended if I don't fight her for you."

"Offended? No. Surprised? Still no. Besides, you know you'd be fighting a losing battle." He patted his daughter's arm.

"Actually, I was thinking it would give me a chance to get a date of my own. Someone young and handsome. There is that guy that works at the meat market, the one with the dark tan," she mused.

"HA!" Penny let out an awkward laugh. "Good one mom. You having an affair with the guy from the meat market." She let out several fake chuckles, until she noticed her mother looking at her with concern.

Her mother eyed her husband. "She's _your_ daughter."

* * *

They arrived early, and as expected, it was busier than usual. They secured seats toward the back of the theater. She watched as people filed in. The minutes passed by; it was getting closer and closer to show time, and Penny noticed that her mystery guy had yet to arrive. Surely they weren't going to miss the biggest show all year?

There were only about ten seats left open in the entire theater. She had resigned herself that they weren't coming. She looked fantastic, and he wasn't even going to see it, she scowled to herself. She had reached the second stage of her feelings about the gentleman: acceptance.

Rather than having a constant internal monologue with herself every time she was around him, she had decided to just let things be. It didn't mean anything was ever going to happen. But, instead of fighting it, it just made more sense to admit they had some sort of weird attraction around each other and live with it. Flirting was harmless. Eye contact was harmless. And if she dressed up and he thought she looked attractive, well, that was _really_ harmless.

At the last moment, she felt his presence drift down the aisle, but she didn't even allow her eyes to look up. Out of her periphery vision, she saw they took the empty seats in the row directly in front of them. She continued to stare down at her lap, but allowed a small smile to emerge.

As she looked up, she saw that they had another person with them, a guy about her age. He was decent looking enough, but not as handsome as what she assumed was his father. He didn't look like he was related to either of the older people; he bore a slight resemblance to him, but very little. His hair was all spiked up with hair gel, and that annoyed her. He was super thin, thinner than her. She was not big by any stretch of the imagination, but she was pretty sure she would break him if they even hugged.

She found herself unable to concentrate during the show. Quite often, she found herself staring at the back of his neck. The skin was incredibly smooth. In fact, his skin was quite taut, in comparison to her father who wore the lines and wrinkles of age. She wondered if he had gotten Botox done, or if he was just lucky.

At one particular moment, as she was studying the back of his neck, she looked over and her father was watching her. She hoped that he assumed she was spacing out and that he didn't notice her eyes focused on the man in front of them.

* * *

Sheldon saw her as they walked in. How could he not? Her hair was styled, not common for her. He also spied her strong arms, with just a hint of muscle. He glanced at her as he made it to his seat, but nodded at her parents instead. She appeared to be zeroed in on a particular point in her lap of her gown. He wondered to himself if girls her age use the terms "gowns" anymore. This further solidified his idea that whatever it was that was happening between them was completely in his own head. They were from two different worlds, two different generations. He was Andy Griffith, and she was Andy Samberg.

As the lights went down, he looked over and his son gave him an enthusiastic thumbs up. As the music began, he fell into the story.

There was a small break in the action, and he saw both his wife and son turn around to speak to the folks behind him. In the back of his mind, he knew that he should do the same. It was only polite. Yet, he couldn't bring himself to turn around. He was pretty sure that the tension would be palpable. He worried that her father would know the look in his eyes, and he _knew_ that she would. Their minds were that much in unison.

So, he just sat there and looked straight ahead.

* * *

More than once, Penny found herself gazing at him. This led to some rather awkward moments, when his presumed son would turn around, catch her eye and smile. To be fair, the younger man was sitting on the end, furthest from her, so it wasn't like he was completely turning around. But, every so often, he would slightly turn his head to the side to glance at her.

When intermission came, she sat quietly in her seat as her parents talked about the performance. Then, she saw the wife turn around to speak to her parents and the son followed.

Very quickly, a build up of excitement grew inside of her. He would turn around too, and she would shake his hand and look into his eyes. Perhaps she would look past his eyes into something much deeper. Then, she could see if this connection that she has felt to him was two-sided.

But, it never came.

"Hey, Jo, good seeing you again," the woman, Lana, said to her mother.

"You too. Lana, this is my husband, Wyatt. Wyatt, this is my old friend Lana." They shook hands and her mother pointed her way. "And this is my daughter, Penelope."

Penny was well-mannered, so she simply nodded her head curtly. "Nice to meet you."

"Well," Lana continued as she pointed to the young man. "This is Michael. And this," she patted her husband's back, "is my husband Sheldon. He's being a little anti-social right now."

Penny feigned being too far from Michael to shake his hand, so she settled for a small smile and a "Hey."

Her parents continued talking to the two of them for the next couple of minutes, as she silently looked down at her feet. She had a feeling that Michael was stealing looks at her, but she could only frown in annoyance. Why wasn't the man, which at least now she knew his name- Sheldon- why wasn't he interested in turning around and conversing too?

And, if there was something there, some sort if intrigue, wouldn't he have _wanted_ to turn around and at least meet her face to face? As she watched the end of the performance, her mood had turned sour.

* * *

It was late when they left the theater. As they were driving home, Wyatt asked, "What's for supper?"

They batted around some ideas, realizing that there were only a few places open that late, in addition to the standard fast food choices.

Now, the McKinnons' farm was out in the sticks, about twenty minutes outside of Omaha. They drove out of Omaha city limits, and came to the second exit, which was the off-ramp they used. Civilization ended once you drove about five miles from the interstate. However, right there off the interstate, there was a decent sized commercialized area, where they did most of their shopping and eating, so they didn't always have to go completely into the city.

"How about Pope's?" her mother suggested. It was one of the few places that would still be open.

"Penny?" her dad asked.

"That's fine with me." She was still feeling a little glum.

Pope's Chicken Shack didn't sound like much, but it was in fact, the nicest restaurant close by. It was usually packed. The inside was not romantic, but it was well-furnished and classic. It was far from an actual shack.

Penny was surprised when she walked in and saw that the dining room was nearly empty. She knew it was later than their normal dinner rush, but still, it was unexpected. But, they also had a huge carry-out base, so they could hear the people in the back bustling around. There was only five or six tables being used, so the hostess told them to seat themselves.

As her parents perused the menu, she watched the television in the corner, which was turned on to a Cubs game. That is, her face was looking at the TV, but her mind drifted elsewhere.

Her parents decided to split a Chicken Fettucine, and she ordered a Fried Chicken Po' Boy.

She perked up when she saw the door open, and Michael Cooper walked through the door and headed straight back toward the counter. Her mind started to race, as she knew this meant that very likely, his father was sitting outside in the parking lot. She tried to come up with any conceivable reason to run out to the car. There was absolutely nothing she could have claimed to have left in the car.

* * *

"Hey buddy," Sheldon asked as he steered the car through traffic. "What do you want to eat?"

"Eh, I don't care."

Lana spoke. "Come on, you aren't in town very often. Isn't there anything you miss out West?"

"Well, I could go for some chicken," he admitted.

"Pope's then?" the father asked looking in the rear view mirror.

Miichael nodded in response.

"Hey Lana?"

"Yes, dear?"

"How did you know those people back there at the symphony?"

The blond woman smiled. "Well, Jo and I lived in the same neighborhood as kids. Her maiden name was Moffitt. I'm not sure what it is now. She works at the bank over by CVS. Her husband runs their family farm. I've seen him come into the lumberyard for supplies a few times. Small world, huh?"

"I guess. And the daughter's name was Penelope, was it?"

Sheldon said "Yes" inside his head. He remembered that part of the conversation very distinctly. His memory would not let him forget that one word. Penelope.

He heard his wife answer. "Yeah, interesting name, isn't it? They come to the shows every week, but I don't know much about her. I'd guess she's probably around your age."

"Probably so."

He could sense his son's fake nonchalance. Michael was interested in the girl. And why wouldn't he be? She's a beautiful girl, seems nice enough. Yet, the very thought of it pierced his gut. Michael was perfect for her. He was friendly and bright. He was young.

They pulled up to the building but saw only a handful of cars.

"Oh shoot," Lana said. "I thought they didn't close the dining room till 10:30."

"No problem," the spiky-haired kid said. "I'll go in and place an order to go."

Before he got out of the car, they shared their preferences with him, and then watched as he disappeared inside the restaurant.

* * *

Penny couldn't help but look over at the counter. Unfortunately, as she looked over, he was looking right back at her. She winced and pulled her head away, looking back at the television. She found herself hoping against hope that he didn't approach them.

There was a window on the wall behind her mother, but due to the darkness, it reflected as a mirror. She noticed this and every so often, she would see someone emerging from the kitchen through the window mirror, and looked to see if it was their meal.

One particular time she was looking at the reflection, she saw Sheldon walking across it. She shook her head. It was a mirage. She was sure of it. At that moment, however, their waitress brought them their food. While looking at the waitress, she was able to sneak a peek over her shoulder and see that Mr. Cooper _was_ in fact standing there talking to his son. She realized he must have come in the side entrance, and that's when she had seen him walk by.

Her mom noticed as well and said to her, "Hey, it's the people from the show, the Coopers. What are the odds?" True enough. What were the odds that of all the people in that entire theater that would be here right now, it would be the ones sitting right in front of them, one of which had been occupying her mind for weeks.

Penny tried to play it cool and pretended to look over at the counter. She didn't want to chance looking and finding the son looking at her again. "Yup, look at that. There they are. Yup." Her mother narrowed her eyes at her, so Penny made things even more suspicious by tapping her fingernails against the table nervously. She jerked her hand off the table when she saw that even her father was looking at her like she was nuts.

She looked into the window, and saw that Sheldon and Michael were holding their to-go order and heading toward the side door. They had stopped however, and were talking to some people whom they apparently knew sitting at a table near the bar area. Sheldon was looking their direction, but only because the person he was talking to was to his right hand side. For one brief second, she could have swore she saw him look up and look directly at the mirror. She tore her eyes away and looked down at her lap.

Playing in the background of this situation, her parents were having an argument. Apparently, unbeknownst to Penny, the busboy that had been cleaning off a nearby table checked her out.

"Darling, you are being completely unreasonable. She is a grown woman."

"Joanna, all I said was that maybe her dress could have used a sweater."

"You'd have her wear a burqa," her mom said jovially.

Penny rolled her eyes and sighed and began to tune them out.

* * *

He was privately glad that he had decided to come in through the side, because her back was toward him. His breath was actually taken away when he came in and saw the family sitting there. He was torn between glad she hadn't seen him and upset that they hadn't decided to eat in, giving him extra time to watch her.

He had seen some people from the place he used to work sitting inside, so he told his wife he was going to run in real quick and talk to them. He actually wanted a chance to show off how high he had ascended in his career. When he saw her, he felt karma coming at him full force. Yet another reminder that modesty was rewarded. Gloating was not.

He walked up to the counter to pay, and was informed that Michael had already taken care of the bill. He squeezed his son's shoulders, and then allowed himself to look over his shoulder at the young woman. She was rapping her fingers against the table and evidently very interested in the Cubs game.

Some time later, they were handed a couple of brown paper sacks, and they each took one. Before heading out the door though, a guy named Chuck shouted out to them. There was a table of men, some of which he recognized as his brother George's poker buddies. He had played with them a couple of times. He made small talk with Chuck, as one of the other men engaged his son in conversation.

As he listened to Chuck speak, he couldn't help but overhear the rather boisterous conversation occurring at the nearby table.

"Darling, you are being completely unreasonable. She is a grown woman."

"Joanna, all I said was that maybe her dress could have used a sweater."

"You'd have Penelope wear a burqa,"

From behind, her shoulders seemed to slump in a defeated manner.

"Men are pigs, Jo. I should know."

"No, dear. Only you."

"No, _all_ of them. They see a bare shoulder, and immediately they think of both shoulders bare. Then they think of her naked. From naked, they think of having sex with her. All in a span of about three seconds."

Sheldon was fuming. A protective feeling sprang to the forefront of his mind. This girl shouldn't have to endure that, being spoken to as if the only thing she has to offer is her body. Her look tonight was nice, and she shouldn't be made to think that she was being provocative. He had an urge to walk over and tell off this Wyatt. He wanted to tell him to stop, that he was clearly making her uncomfortable. He wanted to say that she looked classy, lovely even.

He swallowed as guilt washed over him. The idea that he was thinking of confronting her own father, someone around the same age as he, was laughable. He couldn't help it though; he wanted to defend her honor. The man was being rude. He was being unfair. He was being hurtful. One thing he wasn't being was untruthful. Sheldon knew this because he himself observed her exposed shoulder and felt the exact situation that was described, something more intense than an attraction.

A desire.

* * *

Joanna McKinnon watched as her sweet girl's cheeks tinged at the conversation that was occurring at the table. The one about her.

Just moments ago, Penny's behavior had been rather odd. She had pointed out the coinkidink that the people right in front of them from the theater were at the counter, and Penny hadn't even looked. She had only barely shifted her eyes and . This was confirmed moments later, as her daughter had a very distinct nervous habit that manifested itself in the constant movement of her hands and fingers.

The girl almost seemed like she was hiding something.

She wondered if maybe Penny had her eye on the Cooper boy, Michael. He was a good looking kid. Maybe she had developed a quick crush?

What didn't make sense about that was that Penny was never secretive. Her husband and she had a great open relationship with their daughter. They often teased her about cute guys. She was the first person to point out a guy she was interested in. She didn't shy away from that kind of talk. If she found Michael interesting or attractive, she would have just come out and said it, and then giggled at her parents' teasing.

Joanna narrowed her eyes in thought. No, something was definitely up. She just couldn't quite put her finger on it.

* * *

She let her parents' words roll off her back. It wasn't anything she hadn't heard before. And she knew that deep down, her father only had her virtue at heart. However, when the words "naked" and "sex" popped into the diatribe, she wanted to crawl into a hole.

She noticed that there was no hot sauce on the table. She looked around at the closest tables, and still didn't see any. Feeling the Coopers' presence, she certainly didn't look behind her. She was relieved when she saw a bottle sitting on an unused table toward the front of the restaurant.

She went to grab it, hoping that the topic of her dress was over by the time she returned. As she walked back to her seat, she looked up at him. He was talking and smiling and so _so_ handsome.

She felt her stomach flutter from just the sight of him. It was the teensiest tiniest of moments, but as he was talking, he briefly looked up and looked her dead in the eyes, before returning his gaze to the person he was talking to.

_Ah, there it is._

As she settled into her seat, she felt her heart racing. Her cheeks were warm. She had to fight tooth and nail to hide the grin that was escaping onto her lips.


	6. Umbrella-Ella-Ella

_I don't own TBBT. _

_As such, I am not thrilled with recent news that has befallen our fandom. But, I shall power through and try to give you the best story I can. _

* * *

Life went on for both of them, and one weekend, they found themselves as usual at the Omaha Theatric Symphony, enjoying a show.

Sheldon actually met his wife at the theater, as he had to go there straight from work. He arrived just after the lights dimmed, and after a few minutes, he saw his wife with a spare seat next to her.

He had seen Penelope right away.

He walked down to his seat, and he wasn't sure what came over him, but as he sat down, he leaned over and kissed his wife. "Sorry, things at work took a little longer than I had anticipated."

"That's fine. I haven't been here long."

"Good."

* * *

Penny certainly didn't miss the kiss. She didn't see the actual kiss though, because when she saw what was coming, she had to turn her head away.

...

As they left the theater, her dad saw someone he knew from high school down front so went up to greet them. Coming up the aisle was Harold and Winnie Rosenbaum, old family acquaintances of theirs. Penny said hello to both of them and walked ahead, as her mother lagged behind to talk to Winnie.

"How are things going for you?" she heard her mom ask.

"Just great. Visited my grandbabies last weekend. You ready for grandkids?"

"You have no idea! I am _more_ than ready for grandchildren."

_Thanks. No pressure, Mom._

"Well I'm just lucky I have Gina to give me babies to spoil. My Chris, he's still a bachelor. I wonder if he is ever going to settle down…"

Penny sped up her pace. She had heard this same conversation many times, and she knew exactly where it was going.

She had known Chris Rosenbaum since they were both young. Once upon a time, she actually had a thing for him. But, he was five years older than her. By the time he graduated from high school, she was still only 13.

Sure, they had similar interests and participated in a lot of the same extracurricular activities. Their families were friendly. They ran in the same circle of friends. That is, her friends' older siblings were good friends of his, so it was all one general group a lot of the time. Had they been the same age, yeah, maybe something could have happened between them. He was a great guy, but she hadn't spoken to him since he went away to college 11 years ago.

Winnie Rosenbaum was desperate for her son to get married. This much she knew, because she heard about it each time they talked. And in the very same discussions, she nearly always brought up Penny's maturity and excellent qualities.

As she exited the theater, one of the venue workers stopped her holding a clipboard. "Excuse me miss? Can I ask you a question?"

Typically she would blow right by, but anything that kept her occupied until her mother and Mrs. Rosenbaum were done talking was fine by her.

"Sure."

"Would you be available to participate in a focus group for the symphony? We would require your help this evening and for the next two weekends."

"Um, sure? How long will it take?"

"It will be about an hour and a half each session. As compensation, we will be offering complimentary family season passes for next year to all participants. Plus, you will receive a premium parking pass for one vehicle."

"Sounds fine to me!" Penny was all about free stuff, and she knew her parents would be thrilled. "I need to go let my ride know, is that okay?"

"That's fine. Name?"

"Penelope McKinnon."

"Penelope, once you are done, please go done this hallway to the right to room 116A. We will begin in approximately 30 minutes."

She caught up with her dad and explained the situation. She told him she would take the bus home once they were done and they parted ways.

* * *

He found himself in a bottleneck of people trying to get out of the auditorium. Lana thought she would be a smart alleck and go out the other side to beat him out the door. As they neared the doorway, he saw in front of him the girl's mother conversing with another woman.

He listened in on their conversation, while everyone was still filing out.

"Well I'm just lucky I have Gina to give me babies to spoil. My Chris, he's still a bachelor. I wonder if he is ever going to settle down. He's so focused on his work, he doesn't have time for anything else."

"I'm sure he'll find someone. He is a nice looking young man, has a nice job, was raised well. It will just take that one woman to get him ready to commit."

"Yes, well I'm not getting any younger, am I?"

Sheldon noticed that the mother of Chris and Gina had lowered her voice into a more conspiratorial manner. "I was thinking that maybe we could see about setting up Chris and Penelope?"

"Gee, I don't know."

"They would be great for each other, don't you think? He's a good boy; she's a good girl. I can't think of anyone better for my Chris than your Penelope."

"I appreciate that Winnie. And I agree that they would make a fine couple. She was always fond of him, you know. But it's been years since they've seen each other. I'm not sure how receptive Penelope will be. She has a bit of a stubborn streak, and if she thinks she is being pushed into something, it will not work out well."

"Hmm. You're right. Perhaps we could give it some more time. But, I still say that at some point, we should sit down with them and say 'If you don't think you are going to find someone, you might as well just marry each other.'"

He shook his head, somewhat angry at these women for meddling. Didn't they want their children's happiness? Yes, arranged marriages do have their place in ancient traditions. But, getting married just for the sake of getting married doesn't always succeed.

He finally made it into the atrium and was met by a theater staff member. He was asked if he would be interested in participating in a panel. The young man explained to him how the panel worked and the perks. Sheldon bit his tongue, because quite honestly, he would give them his opinion for free.

"Can I get your name, sir?"

"Dr. Sheldon Cooper," he answered. "And my wife's name is Lana."

"I'm sorry, sir. Only one person per family. Will that be a problem?"

He thought to himself, "No, no. I'm sure it will be fine."

They had driven separately anyway, so rather than fight his way back through the crowds to find her, he just texted.

_Participating in a focus group theater. Will meet you home. _

* * *

Penny found the room easily and took a seat. There were two long tables pushed together, with a bunch of chairs around it. A plain looking woman handed her a form to fill out while she waited.

She was scribbling along, and she looked up to see Mr. Cooper placing his jacket on the back of a chair and sitting down. He was across the table from her, but due to the width of the tables, he was still about 7 or 8 feet away.

As she looked up, he made eye contact with her. She immediately went back to filling out her paper, but she noticed that the hand holding the pen was shakier than it had been moments before.

Once all the seats were filled and everyone had taken enough time to fill out the paperwork, the moderator collected the forms. Penny noticed the woman was quite frumpy. She had shoulder-length brown hair and glasses. She had a wool skirt over a pair of leggings and also wore a terrible cardigan. She wore a bitter look and spoke with a monotonous voice. She would never call anyone ugly, but the woman was…well, Penny was sure she was capable in other aspects of her life that made up for her lack of good looks.

"Welcome, and thank you for participating in our study this evening. We'll keep things pretty basic for this session. We'll be discussing tonight's performance while it is still fresh on your mind. In the next two weeks, we'll also allow you to express your opinions on what you like, what you don't like, what can be done better, etcetera, etcetera."

She continued, "We have gathered 30 patrons to comprise this group. At this time, we'll start by going around the table and introducing ourselves. First name only is fine. I am your moderator, Mabel. Why don't we start with the brunette in the green sweater on the end and work our way around?"

One by one, each person gave their name. Claudette, Vince, Cindy…

"Penelope." She preferred to use her given name in nearly all situations. It was only her very close friends and family who called her Penny.

It continued around the table, and when it got to her familiar gentleman, he cleared his throat. "You can call me Dr. Cooper." Penny bit her bottom lip to keep herself from laughing.

After introductions, Mabel spoke to them about their task. "Tonight, we are going to have you fill out a questionnaire for us. Sounds easy enough, right? There are 50 questions on this questionnaire. Some will be simple choices, where you will be asked what answer most closely resembles your opinion. Others are more open ended essay type questions. As you can imagine, for us to go around the table and get everyone's answers 50 times would be quite time consuming."

She pointed to the tables. "Those of you who are on this side and the side nearest the door, please come up here. You will be Group A." The woman gathered them into a group and handed them a packet of paper.

She moved to the other side. "The rest of you come up here." She passed out the packets again. "You will be Group B."

They stood in their two separate groups and waited for direction. "There are two different surveys. Studies have shown that if a person is just handed the questions, they may zip through it without considering the answers, whether consciously or not. So, we will have you ask the questions of each other. This will also hopefully provoke meaningful dialogue within our group. So, you will need to divide yourselves into pairs and get to work."

Penny knew in her gut what was coming. She looked around the room, and she was clearly the youngest in it by about 15 years. As Group A and Group B co-mingled to pair off, she tried to make contact with several people, some who ignored her and others who she arrived at a half second too late.

"Excuse me, are you in Group B?" she asked to out loud to a few people, hoping someone would step forward.

"Are you in need of a partner?" came a voice from behind her. She closed her eyes. She didn't need to turn around to know who it was.

But, she did. As she did, she looked up and for the first time saw how pretty blue his eyes were. "As it turns out, I am."

"And you are in Group A, correct?"

"Yes, I am."

"Then perhaps you will join me for this exercise?"

"Sure. Thank you, Dr. Cooper."

"You're very welcome Miss…?" His words hung in the air for a bit.

"Oh, my last name is McKinnon," she explained. "But, you can call me Penelope. It's fine."

"Of course it is. But, Miss McKinnon will do." He motioned her to some chairs and they faced them toward each other before sitting down.

* * *

Let no one say Sheldon Lee Cooper doesn't know how to rescue a damsel in distress. Strangely, he had found himself hoping that Penelope would march right over to him and claim him as her partner. His pride hurt a bit when she didn't. But, he could only take so much watching her unsuccessfully seek out a companion before he decided to swoop in.

They were by the book for the most part, asking questions and recording answers. A few times, they had engaged in further conversation, disguised as expounding upon particular answers.

Sheldon noticed that Penelope was truly engaging. She looked straight into his eyes when she spoke and as she listened. She gave feedback to anything he had to say, whether it be a nod of the head or slight smile.

"Dr. Cooper, it looks like I am down to my last couple of questions." She looked over the paper.

"As am I."

When they were done, they handed the papers to Mabel and turned back to each other. "Thank you for working with me," she seemed genuinely grateful.

"It was my pleasure." His eyes found her green ones in attempt to convey his sincerity.

* * *

After the class, Penny walked out into the lobby. Instantly, she saw a flash of light outside. _Oh no._ She walked over to the windows to peer outside. Sure enough, it was storming.

She made her way to the lady at the reception desk of the theater. "Excuse me, I have kind of a weird favor to ask?"

"Yes?"

"I don't know if you have a lost and found, or if you can look in your coat check room, to see if anyone has left an umbrella that I could borrow?"

"You want to borrow an umbrella?"

"Well, only if it is one that no one is using. I'm here every week, and I will bring it back next week. I promise."

"I'll see what I can do," the attendant eyed her peculiarly.

Penny plodded toward the front of the entrance and sat on a bench, waiting for the lady to return with an umbrella or for the storm to stop, whichever came first.

* * *

Sheldon was making his way toward the exit, when he saw Penelope having a talk with the front desk worker for the evening. To his right, he saw a partition, which separated the restroom area from the rest of the expansive lobby. He slipped behind it, and then barely peeked his head out to watch the situation unfold.

He was too far away to hear anything, but he saw the girl clench her fists, and she seemed to be in distress. When he saw her move to sit down, his first instinct was to follow her.

So, he approached the bench and sat down next to her. "Miss McKinnon, is something wrong?"

She looked toward the desk area and shrugged. "No, nothing wrong. I am just hoping to borrow an umbrella. It seems to be raining."

"I do think there is an umbrella in _my_ car if you'd care to borrow it." Actually, he didn't know. His wife took care of those kinds of things, but he was pretty certain that she made sure to have an umbrella in the car at all times, just in case. "It seems rather odd to go through such trouble just so you can get to your car without getting wet."

She let out a charming laugh. "No, Dr. Cooper. I didn't drive. I told my ride that I would take the bus home after the meeting, which was no big deal. I've done it tons of times before." He wanted to stop her to correct the mistake of using a measurement of weight to describe a numeric quantity, but he bit his tongue. "The bus only goes so far, and the bus stop is about a mile from my house. I don't have a problem walking it, except in the rain, it's not ideal."

"I have a solution then."

"Go on?"

"I would like to offer you a ride home. Umbrella or not, you should not be walking in this weather."

"No, it's fine," she rebuffed.

"I insist."

"Well, if you're sure?"

He stood and resisted the urge to reach out his hand to help her up. "I am. Shall we?"

* * *

Penelope noticed that the doctor's manners were impeccable. He held his jacket over her head to shield her from the rain and then he held the door open for her.

_Nope, they definitely don't make them like this anymore._

"Where to?" he asked.

"I live just past Platteview. Do you need directions?"

"I think I can manage. Once we get closer, you can direct me to your house."

They drove down the road, alternating between talking about the theater and uncomfortable silence.

"So," she began. "What kind of doctor are you?"

"I am a pediatric surgeon." Her eyes went directly to his hands on the steering wheel. To her, they seemed quite strong, but she realized they must possess a great deal of dexterity and gentle touch as well.

"Oh wow," she gasped. "I bet that can be so hard sometimes."

"It is my job."

"You must love what you do," she gushed.

"I am skilled at my profession. And, I enjoy the path my career has taken, if that's what you mean."

"Not exactly."

A silent pause came over the vehicle.

"Well, I think it is a very noble calling. It takes a special person to do what you do."

At first, she wasn't sure if he was going to respond. After a moment, he said, "That's very kind of you, Miss McKinnon. You are rather insightful for a woman of…26?"

"24," she corrected.

"Ah."

* * *

The noise of indifference rolled off his tongue, but inwardly he rolled his eyes.

_24, Cooper. She's 24. What are you thinking?_

They had now gotten off the interstate and were making their way westward. "You really know your way around these roads," the blonde commented. "Are you from around here?"

"Actually, yes. I live over by Walnut Creek."

"Oh wow, so you use the same exit, except you go left instead of right?"

"Correct."

"Small world," her voice echoed the sentiments of his wife just weeks before.

"Quite."

"I'm surprised we haven't run into each other out and about. Our families, I mean."

"Hmmm."

"You know what?" her voice was excited. "I bet we've been in the same places before and never even noticed each other."

The voice that came out next was surely not his own. It was deep and calculated. "Or perhaps we have."

Even though it was dark, he could still sense that her face had turned pink.

* * *

She gave him the exact directions to their farm. The driveway up to their home went on for a while. Before long, he had pulled up beside her converted guest quarters.

"Well…thanks. Hopefully it wasn't too far out of your way."

"It was no trouble at all."

"I guess I'll see you next week?"

He just nodded.

"It was nice to finally meet you, Dr. Cooper," she said as she got out of the car.

"The feeling is mutual, Miss McKinnon."

She smiled, and then shut the door; she walked up to her front door and unlocked it. She turned and gave the older man a slight wave before heading inside.


	7. Top That

_I don't own the now defunct in my heart BBT. Lol._

* * *

One week later, they were back in the meeting room. The session started with more of a round table discussion of the merits of expanding the symphony into the larger auditoriums within the building. All were encouraged to voice their views.

Penny and Dr. Cooper were on opposite sides, both of the table and the issue.

When Penny gave her opinion to the group, she was very animated. She said her piece with a catchy enthusiasm. She framed her observation as based on sound logic, but the truth was her opinion was formed more by what sounded good in theory than what would be implemented in actuality. In her mind, the end result was all that mattered.

Dr. Cooper was far more shrewd. When he spoke, he did so methodically. His voice held a calm and calculated tone. He looked at various different people when he tried to make a point, almost as if trying to will his viewpoint into their brain by drilling it into them with his intense eyes. When he concluded, he looked directly at Penny, and quirked both eyebrows in a challenging way, as if to say "Top that."

Before anyone else could speak, Mabel interrupted. "Thank you for that active discussion, all of you. These are just the kinds of things that the OTS hired me to discern from you. Now, if you will join up with your partners from last week, I have another questionnaire for each of you. It will be shorter than last week's, but will follow the same general protocol."

Penny looked up, but Dr. Cooper was standing, and actually already moving her direction. He stood behind a chair right next to her.

"May I?" he motioned to it.

"Sure," she said, chewing on her ink pen.

They received their two different forms, and began to go to work. Penny wanted to say something about their previous debate, before they got started with the papers. "I just think if it were held in a larger space, more people would get to enjoy it," she explained quietly.

His gaze held hers and his eyes softened. "I know that, Miss McKinnon." While amongst the entire peer group, his demeanor held an air of superiority, almost condescension. Now, with her, his voice was kind. He scooted his chair closer to hers. "But, you must analyze all possible results appropriately before a decision is made."

"For example," he continued, "right now, the shows are being shown at about 75-90% capacity on any given Saturday night. Special performances are sold out. But, in general, things are at 75-90% capacity."

"Well, that's pretty good!"

"Yes, it is _pretty good_. But, it is not standing room only. Unless something changes, expanding into a larger theater would only mean _more_ empty seats. I assure you that having your cast perform in front of a half-empty theater is no way to boost morale."

She bit her lip and frowned. He had a point.

"Furthermore, Miss McKinnon, more is not always better. This focus group is a prime example."

"How so?"

He leaned closer. This made her nervous. "While hashing things out with the large group can be lively, I find I much prefer these one-on-one sessions with you."

Penny's eyes went wide. She cleared her throat. "Well, I guess we better get started then."

* * *

He had made her feel uncomfortable and he felt badly about that, he did. But, he didn't say anything that was necessarily out of order. And, it certainly wasn't untrue.

Mabel the moderator interrupted the group. "I do have an assignment for each of you. Don't worry, you won't be graded on it," the tiniest hint of humor came out of Mabel's harsh exterior. If you could each come up with a list of 20 movies or television shows that you think would be ideal for conversion to the interpretive style of the symphony, that would be very helpful going forward."

Penelope raised her hand but was ignored. "There are only a few rules. Please use good judgement when making your choices. Preferably no romantic comedies or stupid humor. Please choose something that reflects some sort of social or moral value. We would just like to get an idea of themes that patrons will be receptive to."

Penelope had pulled a notepad from her purse and was taking notes. "When you are finished with your questionnaires, you are free to leave. Next week will be our last session." At this, both Sheldon and the girl next to him locked eyes. "At that time, arrangements will be made for your compensation. Thank you for your time and commitment."

"Miss McKinnon, did you have a question? I would be happy to ask on your behalf if so," he asked.

She gave him a small smile. "Nope, I was just going to ask for guidelines to our assignment. She took care of that. Would you consider the movie_ Love Actually_ to be within the rules?"

He paused. "The romanticism of that movie is undeniable, but there are other themes that are addressed as well. Political adversity, overcoming tragedy, friendship, the guilt of infidelity." He gulped.

Her cheerfulness broke the tension immediately. "And, it does have a really great soundtrack. Hmmm…I have an idea. Can I see your phone?"

Without asking why, he handed it over.

Her fingers moved across the screen until she was punching in a series of letters and numbers. "May I ask about your idea?"

"I'm giving you my phone number," she said matter-of-factly. "If you want to bounce things off me or need my opinion on something, just let me know. Two heads are better than one."

"It does seem prudent to make sure that our selections are the best they_ can_ be. Perhaps by meeting both of our standards, vetting if you will, we will both have strong lists to present next week."

She laughed. "Teacher's pet."

"When I was a student, my high intelligence sometimes came across as arrogance, and it often put me at odds with my teachers. It was actually my good friend Audrey who was the teacher's pet. While she did not match my level of achievement, she was intelligent in her own way. But, where she excelled was that she exuded charm and grace to others that was impossible to not appreciate…kind of like you in a way."

Penelope turned pink, and Sheldon noticed this.

"Shall we continue with our questions?"

"Sounds good."

...

They were the last participants left in the room, due to their extended conversations.

Penelope stood first and took her form to Mabel. "Sorry we took so long."

The brunette showed no emotion. "There was no time limit." With that, the blonde shrugged and left the room.

Sheldon meanwhile put his lightweight jacket on his body and stuffed his phone in his pocket. He handed his packet in, and his breath caught in his throat when he looked to the door and saw Penelope standing there smiling. Waiting for him.

* * *

Penny fiddled with the strap of her cross-body purse as they walked toward the front of the building. In these moments, he did not feel like an older guy. It just felt like they were friends. It felt easy.

"Dr. Cooper?"

"Yes?"

"Isn't it odd that they would be considering expanding a show that only shows at 75-90%?"

He stopped and faced her, so she did as well. "Astute observation, Miss McKinnon."

"Well, I don't know about astute."

"It could be that they plan to invest resources into a marketing effort for the Theatric Symphony, and they wanted to know how to best utilize that money. If their marketing efforts pay off, they will need ample space."

She nodded.

"_I_ suspect, however, that this focus group has been a way to gauge interest in the symphony as a whole. They may be considering whether it is worth it to continue these performances altogether."

"No," she gasped. "You think they would shut it down?"

"Now, hold on. It wouldn't disband the actual musicians and actors. I believe the venue just would not retain them in their current locale. They would need to find somewhere else to perform."

"Well, I hope not." She started to walk again.

"Oh," he said out loud, as he followed her. "I thought of a film you may have interest in seeing. It will be on tomorrow evening, on AMC, do you have that channel?"

"Yeah, I am pretty sure."

"Have you seen _The NeverEnding Story_?"

"No."

"I think you might appreciate it."

"What's it about?" They reached the exit.

Dr. Cooper looked down at her. "Fantasy."

Penny sucked a whoosh of air in, but composed herself. "Well, then I may check that out."

They walked out the doors. "Would you like me to walk you to your car?"

"No, I'll be fine. Thanks, though. Have a good night, Dr. Cooper."

She waved goodbye to him, and then ever so strangely, he raised his hand and waved back.

As she settled into her car, a storm brewed within her. She enjoyed the older man's company. He was smart and sweet. And, it was _just_ a friendship. She knew this. Yet, she couldn't shake a nagging feeling of guilt.

The kind of guilt that doesn't usually accompany strictly platonic friendships.


	8. Who Needs Flowers?

The first time Penny got a text message from him, she grinned, and immediately went to "Add Contact." But doing that simple act proved to be far more complicated in execution than in theory. Would he be Sheldon or Dr. Cooper? Either way, if her parents happened to see her phone when a call or message came through, it would be very hard to explain.

But, why should it be hard to explain? They weren't doing anything wrong. They were partners in the focus group, and they were friendly. It was no different than if she had a woman as a partner. That's what she kept telling herself.

She just couldn't add him as a contact. She opened the Notes app on her phone and copy and pasted his number into it, so that she would have it on file. It would be a few extra steps, but it seemed like the best thing to do.

They texted back and forth frequently that week…about movies, TV shows, music. He had even called her once. They talked for about an hour. He was also going to call so they could watch _Shaun of the Dead_ while on the phone together. It wasn't really a movie that would be on either of their lists, but he had insisted she would enjoy it, and she had agreed to give it a try.

Penny took extra care to delete all text messages and all call logs from their conversations. She didn't know why. She _did_ know why.

* * *

Sheldon found himself texting more than he ever had. In fact, he had gotten to the point when anytime his text message alert sound dinged, he lit up in anticipation that it was her. And, in the few instances that it wasn't, he found himself disappointed.

One day, on the way home from work, he got caught in a massive traffic jam. After calling Lana to let her know, he called Penelope. They talked the whole time as he inched along in traffic. As nice as the text messages were, it was so nice to hear her voice. It was the only time in his life he had silently hoped that the traffic jam wouldn't let up for a while.

He knew that his wife would be out of the house Thursday evening for a few hours, so he had arranged a phone call so that they could chat about the intricacies of the movie he talked her into. If she had questions, he could give her answers. And, he did love hearing her voice…

Unfortunately, when Thursday came around, his wife begged him to come with her to the charity basketball game that he had initially declined to attend. After much back and forth, he gave in. While she was showering, he wanted to let Penelope know that their plans for the evening were off. But, he could not find his phone anywhere. He desperately hunted for it. He searched every nook and cranny, including calling it from the house phone, and he never did find it.

The time came that they had to leave for the event, so he got into the car, guilt settling into his stomach. He was sure he had asked Lana about his phone, but she seemed to not know where it was either.

After they arrived at the gymnasium, Sheldon scanned the crowd, just for something to do until the game started. Just across the way, and a few rows up, he saw Penelope's parents. His mood brightened. Maybe she would be with him. Then, not only would he get the pleasure of seeing her, but he would also not feel so bad for missing out on their movie.

But, as the minutes passed, it became clear that her parents were there alone. He felt sick. She was sitting at home, waiting for him to call. Maybe she had called or texted him herself. She was probably upset and hurt, and she would have every right to be.

He started to become annoyed with his wife. She had dragged him to this event. Yet, she had spent half the time not even watching the game, but rather socializing with other people, and nearly none of it talking to him. Her outgoing nature was fine; in fact, it was one of her best qualities. But, if she had plans to dart from person to person discussing kids, reality shows, and other gossip, then why was he here?

Sheldon couldn't concentrate on the game. Between his irritation with Lana and his concern for Penelope, he found himself restless. He just wanted to go home.

...

They pulled into their driveway. The doctor had told his wife that he had a headache, so she drove them home. As he was stepping out of the car, he heard her say, "Oh!"

When she came around the vehicle, she was holding up his cell phone. "It was on the floor between the seat and the door. Sheldon, what am I going to do with you?"

He simply shrugged his shoulders and tried to remember when he could have dropped his phone in the car. Her voice broke his thoughts.

"Oh, and four missed calls, too. I hope everything is okay at the hospital," she said concerned.

He took the phone from her, and they headed inside. He looked at the missed call log. Penelope.

"Yeah, it looks like it was Fred from the hospital. I better take this in my office."

Once he settled into his leather chair, he closed his eyes. Text messages and phone conversations were one thing.

But, he had just lied to his wife.

...

He saw that she had also dropped him a couple of text messages, along the vein of **Where r U?** and **R U There?** He also saw that he had a voicemail, and prepared for the worst. He even went so far as to turn down the volume on his phone, before he listened to the tongue lashing he was sure to receive.

Once he heard her voice, he was taken aback at how calm she seemed. She was definitely hurt. That much he could tell. But, it wasn't anything she had said on her part. In fact, she was putting on a brave front. He just knew her _that_ well. He had learned all of her little voice inflections. Why did he know all of her voice inflections?

_Hey Dr. Cooper, it's Penelope. I haven't heard from you yet, and I just was making sure we are still on for tonight. I went ahead and started the movie, and I like it so far. If I don't hear from you, I'll see you Saturday. Bye!_

He quickly typed out a message. **Apologies. Something came up last minute, and I lost my phone, so I was not able to contact you. I will see you Saturday.**

It was formal and a bit frigid. He immediately turned his phone off. He didn't want her to call, and he didn't want to get into a back-and-forth text conversation. He just wanted to go to bed and wrestle with his inner demons tomorrow.

* * *

Penny loved Saturday night's performance. It was an homage to _Saved by the Bell._ She was actually a bit young to remember the show in its glory days, but she had caught a lot of the episodes in syndication. People in their early 40s and younger were probably thrilled to be taken back to the days when the show was in its prime. There was a certain segment of people that would probably never get it, though. People her parents' age. People like _him_.

They had pulled out a dozen or so scenes over the course of the series to portray on stage, and it was great fun, she thought.

...

During their focus group, each person around the table picked one movie from their list that they thought would translate well to the stage and music format. This went on for about an hour or so, and then they turned their lists in. She hoped that some of her choices would make it to the stage.

At the end of the evening, she found herself walking with Dr. Cooper toward the parking lot. Their words with each other had been sparse all night. Neither of them was being noticeably rude to the other one. He was very polite. She in turn offered him half smiles.

Penny thought it strange that the silence between them could be so loud.

"I brought you something," he said out of nowhere. "It's in my car, if you want to come with me."

"You got me something?" She looked at him in awe.

"To borrow," he clarified.

She followed him to his Lexus, and waited as he dug around inside. He pulled out a small case, and presented it to her.

"I'd like you to give it a listen. It would be great for the theater, I think. Also, I think you will like it."

She took the item from him. It was a CD. She read aloud, "_Jurassic__ Park_. Wow, I never thought of _Jurassic__ Park_ before. I guess it seems like such an enormous scale."

"It _is_, but the music is particularly touching."

She looked at him, with her green eyes sparkling in the moonlight. "I'll definitely give it a try." She felt a piece of paper on the back that had been attached. "What's this?"

He made a nervous noise. "Oh, nothing much. I just took the liberty to jot down a few notes. I thought it might help you with the depth of some of the pieces."

"Well, thanks." She felt the quiet lingering between them and knew it was probably her cue to make her way to her car.

"Miss McKinnon?" His voice was soft.

"Yes?"

"I have enjoyed getting to know you. I hope that we can keep in touch."

"I'd like that," she smiled.

"I'll miss," her breath hitched as he seemed to gather himself. "our chats," he finished.

"Me too," she whispered. And with that, she departed toward her parking spot.

...

Once she got home, she popped the CD in her pink laptop and turned the speakers up. She unfolded the piece of paper, and was touched to see his handwriting. It meant a lot to her that he would go through such trouble to help her better appreciate the music. Who needs flowers to be romantic when a guy can do this? Not that _this_ was supposed to be romantic. Even if it incredibly was.

At first, she skimmed the paper. She saw things like:

_At 3:45 on #18, this would be an ideal movement for the strings section._

and

_Pay attention to the fluctuations in tempo during #4_

When she read it more closely though, she became emotional.

_I know how you like it when the symphony is divided into two or more parts and play different music. If you split the musicians right down the middle, #12 would be ideal for playing in rounds._

_I know that you tend to close your eyes while listening to music like this piece. Leave your eyes open. When it's done, look in a mirror. I think you will notice they have gone from your normal color to a brighter emerald._

_This song reminds me of you. I don't know why._

* * *

Fast forward a couple of weeks, and it was a Wednesday. Sheldon was reading _Ender's Game_ for probably the 50th time. His phone rang, and he was pleasantly surprised to see that it was Penelope.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Doctor, she replied brightly. How's it going?"

"I'm well, and yourself?"

"Good. Hey I actually happen to be in your neck of the woods, and I was going to drop off your CD to you. If you give me your address, I can just leave it in the mailbox or in a plant, whatever."

"No need. I have the day off, so I am here. I will give you the address, and you can hand it to me in person."

"Deal. Just text me your address and any directions I may need."

"I will under one condition. You do not check the message until you are safely at a full stop."

"Okay," He could almost hear her rolling her eyes before she hung up.

He looked around the house. It was immaculately kept, of course. His attention to detail was matched only by Lana's. He had invited the girl over. And his wife wasn't home. And she wouldn't be home for a few hours. He could invite her in, and they would be all alone. For hours. His caught his mind beginning to drift, and he started to pace in front of the large bay window.

Minutes ago, he had felt parental concern for her safety, and now he was feeling something else entirely.

* * *

Penny knew that the people who lived in Walnut Creek were well off, but she didn't know they would be Richie Rich rich. She couldn't believe it when she pulled up to his house. She loved their family home, and she wouldn't trade it for the world, and it had more than enough room. But, he had the kind of house she had only ever seen on television.

She half expected a butler to answer the door.

She straightened her clothes out, closed her eyes, and took a breath. Then, she rang the doorbell and waited.

* * *

Sheldon opened the door, and was quite pleased when Penelope stepped forward and greeted him with a hug. He reciprocated with a chaste kiss to her cheek.

The whole interaction was not uncomfortable in the slightest. It was as if all the tension between them had melted away, and now, they could meet each other as old friends.

Except…Penelope looked unusually happy, glowing even. Had she found someone? Had she and Chris Rosenbaum finally been paired together? He was happy that she was happy, but inwardly, he couldn't help but scowl at the thought of her spending company with another man.

She held out the CD in front of her. "Here you go."

He took it and set it on a table near the doorway. "Would you like to come in, Miss McKinnon? Just for a little while?"

"Sure," she smiled. "Is your wife at work?" She asked the question a bit too casually.

"She is. Would you like a tour?"

Her eyes were looking everywhere. She nodded.

"Well, to your right is my office." He pointed upstairs. "Upstairs, we have four bedrooms and two baths" He then pointed down the hallway. "That way is the master bedroom and bath, as well as our laundry facilities."

She was drinking in all the details. He guided her toward the back of the home. "We have a fully finished basement. As you can see, here is the kitchen and great room." He motioned to the expansive space. On one side was a modern gourmet kitchen; on the other was a room with plush furniture and a fireplace.

She was immediately drawn to the vision just outside the French doors. "You have a pool? And a _hot tub_?!" She peered out, like a kid on Christmas Day. "How much will you take in rent? I could live out there."

"I'd let you live out there for free, but I'm not sure how my wife would feel," he answered with a grin.

They walked back toward the front room. She sat on the sofa, while he sat in the chair.

* * *

Their conversation was just so easy, Penny thought to herself. They chatted about music and movies, art, his work, her farm life. Occasionally, his eyes would twinkle with excitement. All too often, her hands would be animated with excitement.

She looked at the clock on the wall. She had been there for three hours! "Oh gosh, look at the time! I better get going." She stood, and he walked her to the door.

She turned around to bid him goodbye, but he spoke instead. "Miss McKinnon, may I ask you a question?"

"Sure."

"I have been wondering for some time now…do you happen to have a little bit of a crush on me?"

Penny's eyes grew as big as saucers. "What? A _crush_? Dr. Cooper, you are a _very_ handsome man, but I assure you, I don't get crushes."

She noticed him glance off to the side when she responded. "Dr. Cooper, your _Jurassic Park_ cheat sheet. You noticed some very subtle things. Do _you_ have a crush on _me_?"

He returned a shocked gaze. "Miss McKinnon, you are a lovely girl, there's no denying." He let out a laugh. "But, a crush? At _my_ age?"

"Well then," she nodded, "I should be going. Have a good evening, Dr. Cooper." She stepped outside and pulled the door closed behind her.

A realization swept over her.

_He never answered the question._

* * *

_She didn't answer._

That was all that was running through Sheldon Cooper's mind.

_She didn't answer._

Only moments later, the doorbell rang. When he opened the door, he thought he felt his heart leap out of his chest to see her standing there.

* * *

Penny gave him a sheepish smile. "I forgot my cell phone." She pointed to end table where her phone was sitting. He was clearly closer, so she waited for him to get it, but he just stood there, frozen.

"Okaaaaayyyy…I'll get it." She narrowed her eyes at him. She passed by him, but he said nothing. All he did was turn his body around and watch her grab the phone. When she passed him again to go back toward the door, he remained still, only moving his eyes.

She reached for the doorknob, then turned around, and saw his back remained toward her. "Dr. Cooper, are you okay? Are you having a stroke? Should I call the paramedics?" Oh how she wished she was joking.

But, Penny was dead serious. He wasn't moving. He wasn't talking. It was like he had completely checked out. "Dr. Cooper, you're scaring me."

This seemed to snap him out of it. "I'm sorry," he choked out. "I saw you, and I just thought…"

She gave him a moment to continue, but when he didn't, she prodded him. "You just thought?"

He slowly turned around to face her. His eyes were still beautiful, but they were darker than she had ever seen them. They were staring out at an invisible space between the floor and her face. "I just thought…"

Penny wondered what was going on in that head of his. Was he thinking of someone? Was he feeling ill? Was he having some sort of traumatic flashback?

"Sheldon?" she asked in a timid voice.

His eyes snapped up to hers, and it frightened her.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have used your name. I was just trying to snap you out of it. I'm sorry," she gave him an apologetic look.

"I'm sorry, Miss McKinnon. I just saw you there, and I thought you came back for…" once again his voice trailed off.

"For?"

It felt like an eternity. It felt like a second.

"This," he said, right before crossing the few steps toward her, grabbing her roughly on each side of her face and kissing her intensely. The force of his action pushed her back into the door.

Luckily, she had already placed her phone in her pocket, or else, it would have fallen to the floor. She held her hands out away from her body. She was torn between pushing him away and grabbing onto him to pull him closer.

Her lips didn't respond to his.

He pulled away and she could feel and see his eyes searching hers, for what, she didn't know. She didn't know how her eyes looked, but they felt hollow and dead.

So, without a single word, Penny walked out the door calmly and got into her truck like nothing had happened. Once she left his subdivision, the tears came, like she knew they would, like she knew they _should._ And she cried the whole way home.


	9. Penny's Beauty

_I do not own the Big Bang Theory. I don't lease it. I don't rent it. I don't own a time share in it. It's not mine._

_Here is a short chapter to bridge the gap until the next chapter, which will likely be a little on the longer side, so it may be a couple says before it is up._

_Enjoy!_

* * *

She deleted his text messages before even reading them. She didn't answer his phone calls. She even didn't attend the symphony with her parents the first two weekends after that.

Dr. Cooper invaded her dreams at night- and during the day if she were to be honest with herself. She kept feeling his lips against hers, pleading for her to respond. And, she couldn't shake the intense look in his eyes as he came at her. And the way his large hands had grabbed her, she had her life in his hands. In one twist, he could have easily snapped her neck. But, his gentle hands, those of a surgeon, only held her in place so he could sear his kiss into her brain.

One evening. Penny arrived home from sorting groceries at the local soup kitchen, and she felt karma had failed her. She had just been doing something good, hadn't she?

Sitting on the porch was a large bouquet of flowers arranged in a vase. They were beautiful, and she had never received flowers before except from her parents and when she was in the hospital getting her gall bladder out. She rolled her eyes at the absurdity of it, but she still couldn't keep the blush from creeping onto her cheeks.

_Oh, Dr. Cooper, I don't think flowers are the best way of saying, "Sorry I'm married and I kissed you anyway."_

Sure enough, they were from him, with two simple words: _Forgive me._ She placed them on the bookshelf in her living area. She spent a good long while staring at them. Every so often, she would let her eyes linger on her cell phone.

* * *

Sheldon's eyes nearly flew out of their sockets when she arrived at the theater the third Saturday after their encounter. He had never seen her look so womanly. She was wearing a red satin dress. It was short, too short if you asked him. The hem sat halfway up her thighs, and showed off her long, muscular legs.

Her hair was kept in an elegant updo, and she was carrying a black clutch. Her makeup was not subtle like it normally was: her eyes were smoky and her lips a bold red color. If he didn't know any better, he would say she was dressed for the Oscars.

Or a date.

But, she did sit with her parents, and that relieved him somewhat. But, then she saw her give a flirty wave across the aisle, and he looked and saw the man he could only assume was Chris. He had blond hair and classic good looks. He was sitting with the woman her mother had been friendly with a while back. Yes, that must be Chris.

"Honey?" his wife's voice interrupted his thoughts. She looked concerned, and he looked down to see that his hands were clenching the armrests so tightly that his knuckles were white.

In the middle of the show, Penelope got up and made her way to the back, presumably to go to the restroom or freshen up. She didn't even spare him a glance. Had she not even seen him? Was their mental link, the one that had them keenly aware of the other's presence, gone?

He waited a couple of minutes, looked at his wife who was engrossed in the performance, and then excused himself.

* * *

Penny finished up in the restroom and applied a coat of lipstick, before heading back toward the auditorium.

She was momentarily frightened when she felt someone grab her arm, and with their other hand, cover her mouth from behind. She knew who it was, so she didn't struggle. She felt herself being pulled down the corridor that led to their meeting room and then spun around against the wall.

"Look, I'm sorry," Dr. Cooper said, looking at her deeply. "But, you wouldn't take my calls, and I wanted to tell you how sorry I am."

"I got the flowers," she replied coolly. They kept their voices low.

"I really _am_ sorry about my moment of indiscretion."

"I know," she looked away from him.

"It's just that I enjoy your company so much, and the idea that you are so beautiful and found someone like _me_ handsome, it felt nice. But, it wasn't just that. It felt like more. Forgive me for being an old fool," he concluded and started to walk away, but Penny grabbed his wrist to stop him.

She didn't remove her hand when he returned back to her. "For the record, I wasn't mad at you. I was upset with myself."

"What?"

Her eyes focused on the floor. "I loved spending time with you, Doctor. But, my feelings for you were in a place that was not entirely appropriate. I led you on. I led you astray. _I'm_ the one who should be sorry." He reached out to tilt her chin up so that she would look at him.

"I didn't ignore you because I was upset with _you_. It was just be too hard for _me_. I didn't not kiss you back because I was put off by the kiss. I didn't kiss you back because I didn't trust myself."

She saw him swallow as she concluded her admission. "I see."

She released her grip. "I should probably get back to my family before they send someone to make sure the sink didn't swallow me."

"Miss McKinnon?"

"Yes, Dr. Cooper?"

"Regardless of what happened between us, I do hope that we can continue to be friends. I meant what I said before. I really do enjoy your company, whether we kiss or not."

"Okay. Me too."

"However, the kissing _was_ enjoyable. You should try it sometime. I think you would like the kissing part of our friendship," he added in jest as he smirked at her.

She rolled her eyes dramatically but smiled. "Sweetie, you could never handle me."

Penny sauntered past him, feeling better than she had in a couple of weeks.

* * *

It was really the antithesis of all he held dear. Things were dirty and musty. They smelled stale. Who knew how many people had touched these items?

But, one of Sheldon Cooper's guiltiest pleasures was going to flea markets. One thing about Lana was that she preferred things to be new and modern and in his opinion, rather impractical. Perhaps he was subconsciously rebelling.

He had some time to kill one day, so he drove down to the Old Copper Lantern flea market to browse.

After he had been there a while, he heard the bell ring, indicating someone was coming in the door. He saw Penelope's blonde hair and watched as she carried a box to the counter. He tried to hide behind a display, but he wasn't quick enough, and she saw him.

She walked over, wearing a tank top and jeans. "Hey, Dr. Cooper! How are you today?"

"Well, hello, Miss McKinnon. I am fine. Yourself?"

"Good, good. Do you come here often?"

"More often than I should," he admitted. "What brings you here?"

"Well, booth #47, the profits from that booth goes to the women's shelter down on Fifth. So, I just brought in some donations."

"That's nice," his eyes pierced hers. What he meant to say was that she was stunning. That her outer beauty was a mere shadow of that which radiated from her inner self.

"I was going to do a little bit of window shopping. Do you want to join me?"

The truth was that he had already been through the entire shop, and he had been close to leaving when she arrived.

"I would like that."

She grinned. "Okay, where do you want to start? Have you seen much already?"

"No."

"Okay, well then let's just go along this wall, then work our way around. Is that okay?"

They spent nearly two hours going through the store, and Penelope had picked up a few things to purchase. There were a few antiques that she was intrigued by, and he was only too happy to explain them to her. It didn't make him feel old anymore. He introduced her to traditions of the past. She introduced him to idioms of the current, ones that he would in all likelihood never use.

Unless she smiled and asked him to. Then, he couldn't say no.


	10. Han vs Greedo

_I'm going crazy folks! I know I promised a long chapter. I probably would have had it ready for you guys by tomorrow evening. But, I was pretty satisfied with where I am leaving this chapter right now, that I just wanted to get it published right away. So, instead of an insanely long next chapter, you'll have two longish chapters _

_Still don't own it, though._

* * *

Penny opened up her car and let Beeker, her energetic labrador retriever jump in the back seat.

A new dog park had opened about a week ago only a couple of miles from her house. It seemed silly to go through the trouble of getting the dog into the car, driving down there, just so he could run around, especially when there was so much land on their own property. But, it would give him a much needed chance to socialize with other dogs, which was something he rarely got a chance to do.

When she got to the park, it was actually pretty busy, probably due to the newness of the location. She grabbed Beeker's leash, a bottle of water, and a tennis ball, and then let him out of the car. He dutifully followed her through the gate.

Once inside the fenced-in area, she threw the ball around with him. She hoped that this would take some liveliness out of him, so that when he "meets" the other dogs, he will have at least settled down a little bit.

After a few tosses of the ball, he seemed to get disinterested, and started to make friends with a collie mix. She watched from a safe distance, like a Mommy watching her baby go off to pre-school. She was cautiously optimistic. Beeker seemed to be getting along with the other dogs, but she wanted to be attentive enough that if things went wrong, and they probably would, she could settle things down.

She felt a presence before she heard the familiar voice. "Miss, we _do_ need to stop meeting like this."

She didn't need to look to see who it was. She stared straight ahead and tried to stifle the smile that graced her lips. "You first," she replied.

"Which dog is yours?"

"The black one, the one that's playing with the German shepherd, at least I _think_ they're playing." She squinted to make sure no blood was being drawn during the pups' tussle. "I'm assuming you have one here?"

"Yes, she is the little white one, a mutt of some sort. They didn't know what she was when we rescued her."

"Aw, she's cute."

Dr. Cooper stepped into her line of vision and gestured toward a bench a few yards away. "Would you care to sit down?"

She nodded and sat on the bench, under the limbs of a large maple tree.

* * *

Sheldon watched Penelope as she watched the dogs. "How have you been?"

"Great! Hey guess what I heard?"

"What?"

"For Christmas this year, the Theatric Symphany is going to do _Love Actually_! Isn't that cool?"

"Very cool," he smiled.

"That is definitely not one I will be missing. I am so excited!"

He chuckled. "I can tell."

"I didn't know you had a dog."

"I don't have a dog," he was cheeky. "I have five of them. I thought maybe I should only bring one at a time to test the waters."

"Five dogs?! I didn't see them that day at your house."

It was an unsaid thing between them. That day at his house. _That_ day at his house. They didn't have to say a word. They each knew what was in the other's head.

"Well, you didn't see them, because they are kept outside. You couldn't see past the pool."

"Outside?" she seemed shocked. "Outside is no place for a dog. Poor things."

"Miss McKinnon, your reaction is quite humorous considering dogs descend from wolves who live in packs. Outside."

"Still, you don't feel bad for them?"

He guffawed. "Why should I? Their dog houses are bigger than _my_ bedroom. They are equipped with AC, filtered water, and a Bose sound system that can be controlled from the house. No, I don't lose any sleep over their _terrible_ life."

"It's not about all that fancy-schmancy stuff. Dogs want to be around _people_. They want to be companions. I'm sure they get lonely."

"There's five of them outside, and two of us inside. Shouldn't you be more worried that _I_ get lonely?" Sheldon's eyes met hers and neither spoke for a breath. "They have each other and a huge yard to play in. I think they're fine."

* * *

They sat on the bench at watched as the dogs ran and played. They didn't talk much. They didn't need to. He ignored it when she scooted a bit closer when she thought he wasn't looking. She ignored it when he laid his arm casually on the back of the bench behind her.

Penny thought that anyone passing by may assume that they were a couple. Or would they? Maybe they would think they were father and daughter instead. She didn't care. She didn't care that his hair was graying. She didn't care that he had slight wrinkles around his eyes. He had a wife. _That_ she cared about.

The sky had been getting progressively dark, but they both ignored it. Or wanted to ignore it at least. When thunder rumbled in the distance, she finally breached the subject. "It looks like it's going to rain. I better get going." She stood and he followed suit.

"Beeker!" She hollered and her dog came running.

"Yes, it is about time for me to go home as well. I'll walk with you." He walked to his dog and scooped her up.

They got out to the parking area, which was on grass, and she let out an annoyed voice. "Oh shoot!"

"Something wrong?"

She pointed. "I have a flat tire. I must have run over something in this field." She pulled out her phone.

"Miss McKinnon, it is sprinkling, and the rain is likely on its way. Why don't you let me give you a ride home?" he offered.

"I think that's a bad idea."

"Why?"

"You are going to let me and this 80 pound beast in your pristine Lexus?" she asked incredulously.

"I see your point."

"Plus," she started as he looked up at her. "I wouldn't hear the end of it for weeks if my parents saw a guy bringing me home. And, if they recognized you or your car, that would open up a whole 'nother can of worms, now wouldn't it?"

"That's true as well."

"Besides, we got Triple A. That's what we pay for, isn't it?"

"I will wait with you then, until they come." It wasn't a question or offer. It was a statement and Penny knew better than to argue.

* * *

They had gone back to text messaging and talking on the phone on a semi-regular basis. On a Thursday a few weeks later, Sheldon pulled up her driveway. He knocked on the door, and when she answered, he couldn't hide his amusement.

Penelope was wearing a pair of athletic shorts, a t-shirt, and her hair was piled on her head on a messy bun. When he looked down, she was wearing a pair of high heels. They looked very much like the kind of high heels that his wife wore, the kind that annoyed him. His wife always stuffed her feet into shoes two sizes too small, and then she walked like a duck the whole time she was in them. These didn't seem to bother him so much.

There was music on in the background, and she was holding a rag. "Dr. Cooper! What are you doing here?" She was surprised.

"Well, the other night, you mentioned that your parents were going out of town for a long weekend. I realized I've never seen your home and thought you may want some company. Are you busy?"

She looked at the rag in one hand and the Pledge in the other. "Oh, I'm just doing some deep cleaning." He seemed impressed.

He looked intentionally down at her shoes. "That's an odd choice of attire for deep cleaning, is it not?"

She blushed. "Well, I am told a lady wears high heels. A _proper_ lady wears high heels without breaking her neck."

He laughed a genuine laugh.

"I am more of a flip-flops and sneakers girl myself; actually, I would go barefoot all the time if I could. My grandma told me the best way to get used to wearing heels is to do it while doing work around the house."

Sheldon noticed she hadn't invited him in yet, but it was okay. If they just stood there in the doorway and had a 10 minute long conversation, to him it was worth the drive.

He focused on her t-shirt, saw the outline of the Millennium Falcon, and he gave her an amused smile. "You're a Star Wars fan?"

"Am _I_ a Star Wars fan?" she leaned toward him conspiratorially. She looked him dead in the eye. "Han shot first."

Sheldon suppressed a grin. "Indeed he did."

Penelope moved to set the cleaning supplies down on the coffee table. He couldn't resist. "_Except_…"

She shot up and looked at him with a murderous glare. "Except _what_?"

"Except what if he didn't?"

"Yeah, nice theory you have there. He did. You can't overrule 20 years of canon with 20 seconds of pointless meddling."

"Maybe Lucas wasn't overruling canon so much as exposing it. Maybe, from the beginning, in his mind Greedo shot first. And the rest of us got it wrong. This was his chance to set the record straight."

"Maybe he was meddling." Sheldon felt something stir inside of him. This girl was not afraid to go toe to toe with him. On anything. He liked that.

Before he could speak, she took a step back, and started to wobble. He instinctively reached out his hands to steady her by the hips, but before he could grab her, she had caught herself. She looked embarrassed and referenced her shoes. "See?"

* * *

"You want to come in for a little bit?" she found herself asking. As he enetered and she shut the door, Penny kicked the shoes off.

There was only a sofa in her living area, so they each took a seat on opposite ends.

"Why are you trying to learn how to wear heels anyway?"

"Just trying to make myself a _marriable_ woman," she rolled her eyes. "It's one of those painful things women have to go through. Pluck and tweeze hair. Put on makeup. Wear high heels."

"I happen to find those to be vapid ways to create some sort of false beauty. Here's a secret, from a wise man to you. We men, it's the natural beauty that we like."

She looked at him skeptically. "Dr. Cooper, I've seen your wife, and no offense, but she is no stranger to the makeup counter."

"I know this," he answered simply. She thought to herself it may have been a bad idea to bring up his wife.

"Miss McKinnon, let me ask, why would you want to use powder to cover up your charming freckles? Further, why use color to mask the lines along your lips where they are chapped from biting them out of a nervous habit? Those are the things that make you you."

Penny was touched and unnerved by his words. _Is it hot in here?_

Luckily, the moment passed, and she noticed Dr. Cooper scanning her DVD collection which was sitting on a bookcase in the corner of the room.

"All seven seasons of _The West Wing_," he observed. "You also like _The West Wing_?"

Her voice bubbled with joy. "I **love**_ The West Wing_. The themes, the dialogue, it was brilliant."

"I don't imagine many people your age have a fondness for _The West Wing_."

"Eh, I try to tell people. If they like _Walking Dead_ and _Game of Thrones_, they would have liked _The West Wing_. They just can't let their selves see past the political nature of the show and see that it was always just a show about people."

When she looked up at him, his eyes were a dazzling blue. "You know _Walking Dead_ and _Game of Thrones_?"

She shrugged her shoulders modestly. "I dabble."

"Do you have a favorite episode? Or a favorite scene?"

"Do I have a favorite scene?" she asked back at him. "I have a hundred scenes off the top of my head that I love. I could sit here and quote certain characters or talk about particular episodes all day. You'd be here all afternoon!"

"Okay."

"Okay?" She was confused.

"I accept your invitation to stay here all afternoon," he replied plainly.

"Well, okay then we'll have to start with Charlie…"

* * *

Penelope was right. They had sat there and talked about _The West Wing_ for hours. She had talked more than he did, but he contributed occasionally. Every so often, he would reach down and pat Beeker's head or rub his tummy. He had never seen her so chatty. It was nice to see her so passionate about something.

She was sitting Indian-style facing him, moving her hands to describe how cool it was when Toby, Josh, Charlie, Danny, and Will went to Donna's and threw snowballs at her window. She repeated the scene nearly word for word. Once she was done speaking, she sighed contentedly.

The way her eyes lit up, Sheldon knew he was in deep trouble. She was beautiful.

"I've noticed that many of the scenes you mentioned were in the first part of the series. Is there nothing from the last couple of seasons that you enjoyed as well?"

Her eyes looked away as if to think. They then held a moment of recognition, but went dark. "No, nothing worth talking about."

The sun was glowing through the windows, indicating it was near sundown. He looked out the window, then back at her and caught her eye. The moment that they knew would come arrived all too soon. "I'd better get going," he sighed.

"Thanks for stopping by," she said shyly as she walked him to the door.

"Thanks for inviting me in."

"Thanks for listening to me talk."

They were slowly gravitating toward each other, the voices becoming softer and softer.

"Thanks for reminding me…" _Say it, Cooper. Thanks for reminding me what it feels like to fall for someone. Say it!_

"For reminding you what?" He could have sworn that she had gone up just slightly on her tiptoes.

He jerked out of his reverie just long enough to keep things proper. He gave her a polite smile. "That Han shot first."

Penelope got a couple of inches shorter, as she sank her feet to the ground. "And don't you forget it."

* * *

Seconds after she locked the door behind him, the phone rang. She peeked out the window and he was still in her driveway.

"Yes, Dr. Cooper?" she answered the phone. "I'm looking at you right now, you nut."

He looked at her and waved. "I was actually wondering if you're not opposed to eating late if you'd like to have dinner with me tomorrow night."

"Um, yeah." It came out more as a question than answer, she was so stunned. "Anyplace you have in mind?"

"Have you been to Las Dos Hermanas?"

"Yeah, I know it well."

"I have to work late tomorrow night. Would you like to meet me there, say around 8:30?"

She almost said, "It's a date," out of pure habit, just as she would with any of her friends. But, she stopped herself. "8:30 it is; I'll be there."

"See you then," he hung up the phone and waved at her again before pulling away.

They were meeting _at_ the restaurant. So, it was not a date. It _wasn't_ a date. Just two friends meeting for Mexican.

And yet, mentally, she started thinking of what she was going to wear.


	11. Bridge Over Troubled Waters

_Hey guys! I know this is a few days late. I ended up going out of town right after my last update, and I've been really busy at work this week._

_But, without further adieu..._

* * *

Penny decided to keep it casual. She wore a cobalt blue fitted t-shirt, a pair of jean capris, and simple flats. The Mexican restaurant was not exactly fine dining. Delicious? Yes. Fancy? No. Plus, as she had reminded herself every 30 seconds for the last 26 hours: this _wasn't_ a date.

She was surprised when she walked in at 8:27 pm, and he wasn't waiting for her. From the theater, she knew that he was very prompt, usually running early if anything. An unpleasant thought entered her mind, as she wondered if maybe it was his wife who was the early one, and she just kept him in line.

No, she reasoned. From what little she knew of him, he seemed very punctual. But she still had a couple of minutes to spare, so she decided to wait for him before getting a table. Due to the late hour, the restaurant was thinning out, so she didn't think they would have any trouble getting one.

Fifteen minutes later, she was still waiting. Even though she held her phone in her hand the whole time, she still felt compelled to check it for missed calls or text messages, but as she knew there would be, there was nothing.

She felt the staff's pitying eyes on her, so she decided to go wait outside in the fresh air. She hesitated to call him. Maybe he got caught up with last minute plans with his wife again? After a few more minutes, she couldn't wait any longer. She called his number, and immediately, she heard a barely audible ringing in the distance. She pulled her phone away from her ear, noticing that the ringing in the phone and the phone she heard seemed to be perfectly in synch.

She turned her head to the left and saw Dr. Cooper coming from around the corner of the building, rushing toward her. "I'm so sorry." As he approached her, he placed his hands on her forearms. "I got caught up at work."

"It's fine," she replied.

"I should have called. I thought I could get here before it was too late, and then the interstate was down to two lanes because of someone blowing a tire, and I really am…"

"Dr. Cooper, it's okay. I understand."

He gently moved his hands down her forearms and grasped her hands. "Thank you for your empathy. I must tell you, I am constantly surprised by your maturity and grace. Many girls your age would have _flipped out_ as it were."

"Well, I'm not a girl," she chided him. "And, I think we both know age is only a number."

He let go of her hands and glanced down at his watch. "Five till nine. Shall we go in and enjoy a meal?"

She followed him toward the entrance and politely thanked him as he held the door open for her.

* * *

They each placed their orders immediately and began to dig into the chips and salsa.

"So, do you want to talk about work?" Penelope asked him. "_Can_ you talk about it?"

Sheldon frowned and shook his head. "I _can_. I prefer not to. At least not tonight. Someday." His eyes caught hers and he gave her a meaningful look.

"Why didn't your wife join us?" She glanced up at him quickly then back down, suddenly quite focused on the amount of salsa on her chip. "I mean, I wouldn't have minded being the third wheel."

"She is actually out of town for the weekend. Her father has Alzheimer's. His condition has significantly worsened over the last few weeks."

"I'm sorry about that," Penelope replied genuinely.

"He lives a couple of hours away in Norfolk. She went up there this weekend to check on him and meet with the caretakers. She will likely be spending much of her time up there, at least on her days off, for the immediate future."

"I see."

"I'll go with her when I can," he said, a little loudly. "But, with my job, my schedule is very unpredictable."

"Of course."

He straightened up and met her eyes again, determined to change the subject. "How is Beeker?"

"Rotten," she replied between bites.

"Ah, so spoiled you mean?"

She nodded.

Sheldon narrowed his eyes at the blonde. "Let me guess. Your dog sleeps with you every night in bed."

He saw her visibly flush at the assertion. She looked away. "Not _every_ night."

He couldn't help but smile at her reluctant admission. "I could tell."

"How?"

The waiter came by and placed their food on the table, steam rising off the hot plates in front of them.

"At the dog park, you seemed shocked at the idea that my dogs didn't sleep indoors. This indicates that yours does. And, I know this isn't very qualitative but you just seem like the type."

Penelope pushed her rice around with her fork, mixing it with the cheese sauce from her meal. "And what type is that, may I ask?"

"Completely different from my wife."

* * *

Penny was thankful she didn't have any food in her mouth at that moment, as she was pretty sure that she would have had a choking fit.

"Mmmmmm, chimichangas," she commented on her meal. "I don't even need the filling inside. Just deep fry me a couple of tortillas and dump some cheese on top and I'm a happy girl." She cut into her steak chimichanga.

"Ah, the gastric liberty of youth," he said, as his chicken fajita platter continued to sizzle. "Enjoy it."

"So, anything exciting coming up in your life?"

"Well, my son Michael is in the process of returning to Omaha. You met him."

"Yeah, I think I did. Soon?"

"Fairly soon. He lives in Portland, Oregon right now, but was offered a position closer to home. He has flown home several times in the last couple of months in an attempt to find a place to live, as well as to get all his affairs in order."

"That's great! I bet you and your wife are really excited!"

"Well, Lana is not Michael's mother. She is actually my _second_ wife. Michael is from my first marriage. But, they get along quite well, so I believe she is looking forward to it."

"Oh, well yeah, I didn't see too much of a resemblance, but you never know about those kids of things."

"He looks more like his mother than me. Lana thinks he needs to eat more."

"I agree."

"Well, she may get the chance to fatten him up after all. He is due to begin his job by the beginning of the month, so if he is unable to secure a home before then, he will be staying with us until he finds a place."

Penny popped a piece of steak in her mouth. It was an odd conversation. Here they were talking about his son, who was close to her age she imagined, and yet it didn't feel weird to her. It just felt like a normal conversation.

"Tell me more about yourself, Miss McKinnon."

"Well, what do you wanna know?"

"Pardon me for being so forward, but I can't help but notice that on a Friday night, a beautiful young girl like yourself is having dinner with an old man when she could be out on a date."

She gave him a look. "I am having dinner with a _good friend_. His age doesn't matter."

_Was he blushing?_

She continued on to tell him about her inexperience in the dating arena. Between schoolwork, farm work, and community volunteering, it didn't leave her much time for guys in her youth. Plus, she was a pragmatic girl. She didn't want to date just for the sake of dating.

"I knew I had the rest of my life to find someone. Why waste my time with some guy I don't really give a hoot about? I just thought as I got older, it would just happen. And it hasn't."

"So no relationships at all? Not even casual ones."

She swallowed her food. "Nope. Not unless you count Jarrick Barton. We met on one of my mission trips, and hung out every night for the two weeks I was there. And, we also…" she broke off and turned pink. "Anyway, I guess you could say we were sort of dating. But no, not really."

"And you've never experienced love." Dr. Cooper said it as part statement, part question.

"Well, love is a bit…complicated."

The man's eyes dropped and he looked down at his plate. It was barely a whisper. "Yeah, it is."

She had never shared this with anyone in her life. Her best friends knew most of it, but she had never bared her heart to them in such a fashion. But, it seemed relevant to the conversation. And, as she looked into his eyes, everything just spilled out of her.

* * *

Sheldon watched the girl intensely. Her green eyes seemed to be elsewhere for a moment. As she spoke, he realized she was conjuring up a memory.

"This is going to seem silly. I fell in love when I was 11 years old. His name was Brandon, and he was my best friend. We worked on schoolwork together, spent our recess together. When we were separated, we would both get up and go to the pencil sharpener, just so we could have a few moments together." She smiled a soft smile.

"We were in the fifth grade. He carved BG +PM into his desk. His sister told me he talked about me all the time. And, he was my very best friend. I loved him. And I loved him until we graduated, maybe even longer."

He gulped. She was being very forthright with him, and he felt compelled to do the same. He listened as she continued.

"We remained close as we went through Junior High. But, things started to change. I fell into a social group of girls, and he realized it wasn't cool to have a girl as a best friend. When we were alone, we were still the best of friends. But, publicly, not so much.

In high school, we drifted apart further. He started dating girls, and I was very involved in clubs and sports and things like that. But, through it all, I still cared for him. Towards my junior and senior years, we became close again. As friends, nothing more. We worked together as partners, and when we would get done with our assignments before everyone else, we would spend the rest of the class period talking.

In advanced biology, we weren't partners, but we sat next to each other. And one day, he went to go get a set of goggles, and when he came back, without me asking, he put a set of goggles in front of me. It was simple, really. But, it wasn't something anyone else did…for anyone, even people who were dating. From then on, we took turns getting equipment for each other.

Then one day, we had a substitute teacher, and she let us do our work outside. So, we sat outside and talked for an hour. And, for this one tiny moment, I swear I saw something in his eyes, something I had never seen before. And, I know this sounds cliché, but it really happened. At that instant, the bell rang. But, that was all it took. The love I had for him, that was simmering under the surface, came right back to me full force."

The waiter came by and refilled their drinks, then took his finished plate away.

"Anyway, he went off to some fancy college in Georgia. And, my feelings for him lessened and lessened. I've seen him once since, at a wedding. I was avoiding him, and I am not sure why. But, eventually, we couldn't avoid each other forever, and I turned around on the dance floor and there he was. 'Hey Penny,' he said. And you know what I did? I didn't answer. I just ignored him and kept on dancing. And that was it. We don't talk anymore. We're not even friends on Facebook. But, ever since, I've never met anyone that makes me feel the way he did when we were friends in the fifth grade."

He saw her look down at the table. She was so engrossed in her story, she missed that he had reached across the table and taken her hand in his. He was stroking his thumb against her skin.

Her eyes met his. They were a bit watery, but didn't seem to be in danger of producing tears. He felt very special that she had chosen to share such a memory with him. He could tell by the pauses and her voice cracking at times that it hadn't been easy on her.

"I fell in love when I was 11 years old, and live every day not knowing if I will ever feel that kind of love again. So, what's your story?" she joked with him.

* * *

He let go of her hand so that she could continue eating her meal. He knew that part of friendship was reciprocity, so sharing his personal story was the next step. And, truthfully, he _wanted_ to share it with her. He felt such a connection to her, that if there was anyone he would ever be able to talk to about it, it would be her.

"I've never been in love," he said plainly. He was annoyed when it brought a grin to her face. "How is that funny to you?"

She raised her eyebrows. "You've been married twice, and you've never been in love?" her voice was skeptical.

He was going to have to start from the beginning.

"Much like you, my experience with women was negligible when I entered college. As a pre-med and then a medical student, I was very busy with my studies, always in the library or a lab of some sort. Then, I met Cathy. We were friends and shared a lot of classes. All I felt for her was friendship. There was no attraction there at all.

But, after finals my second year of med school, I was just so relieved to have all the work behind me. She and I celebrated, had a couple of drinks, and ended up back at her place. We weren't thinking clearly, and a small part of me was curious. I wanted the virginity monkey off my back. So, yeah."

He knew he didn't need to go into great detail. He was sure she could fill in the blanks.

"It was just once. But, Cathy became pregnant. And Mrs. Mary Cooper raised herself a gentleman, and I knew I had to be there for my child. Plus, it was a different time back then. Children out of wedlock were not that common, and when it _did_ happen, the men were expected to do right by the women and marry them. So, I did. The marriage itself wasn't all that bad. As I said, we were friends. I had a built-in study partner right there in the apartment with me. I had no desire for dating, and I very much wanted to be a part of my son's life. So, it was the ideal situation for me."

"So what went wrong?" she asked curiously.

"She met someone she _did_ love. She wanted to be with him. I couldn't keep her in a loveless marriage for my own convenience. Michael was still rather young at the time, not yet old enough to understand what was going on, so we decided to dissolve our marriage. Cathy is married to the same man, a good guy, all these years later, and he always treated Michael as if he were his own. Michael was one of the lucky ones that was never torn apart by divorce, but rather, his life was enhanced."

"And Lana?"

* * *

She held her breath.

He had explained his first marriage relatively easily. And, it did make sense to her. But, this marriage, considering he was still married to the woman? It would be a harder sell.

"Lana and I met 10 years ago. I dated on and off throughout my adult life, but never settled down. I was content working my way up the ladder of my profession. She moved into the neighborhood, and we became friends. I love Lana, as a friend, just as I loved Cathy as a friend. I had admitted to myself that I was lonely, and it was nice to have someone my age to spend time with.

Nothing ever came close to becoming romantic between us. I honestly believed at the time that she was a lesbian, and funny enough, she wondered the same about me. Gay, that is. It was to the point where we were spending most evenings together anyway. We weren't getting any younger, and the topic of marriage came up.

It was very practical. We considered the tax benefits. Lana was not working, and she would be able to get health and dental benefits through my insurance. We figured we were in each other's homes so much already, why not make it permanent and get some perks? So, Lana sold her home, and that money was put into a joint account, giving us a nice little nest egg."

He had stopped speaking, and Penny wondered if he was done with his story. But he glanced shyly up at her.

"Of course, there are the baser urges that come with being human, and it was helpful to have someone to officially take care of those, and not have to rely on some random person or your own hand."

She felt heat rising to her cheeks.

"Do you have anymore questions?" he asked.

"You've never felt anything for her?"

"Other than affectionate friendship? No."

"Because, you know, they say that you can be around someone for weeks, months, years even. And, they can be just a friend. And then all of the sudden, out of nowhere, something changes and they are the only person you can imagine spending time with for the rest of your life."

"I know," he paused and she felt his blue eyes piercing hers with intent. "But, no, it's never been like that."

Her voice was caught in her throat. She shoveled the last bite of rice in her mouth and sat up straight. "Anyway," she said loudly. "Do you think she'd mind this?" She pointed between them.

"No. I have had lunch and dinner with my colleagues and friends many times."

She nodded, giving his statement merit. It was true. She had been to this very restaurant a number of times for meals with friends and family. This wasn't any different. But, it _felt_ different.

Several minutes later, after her plate had been cleared and the bill had been brought to the table, they sat in silence. Penny dug into her purse and pulled out some money, and plunked it on the table for a tip.

Dr. Cooper grabbed the bill, but she didn't make a fuss about it, because she knew they would separate the bill at the counter, where they would pay.

"Are you ready to go?" he asked.

"Yeah, we should probably get out of here, before they put us to work."

He went ahead of her to pay. When he was done, she took a $20 out of her purse and stepped up to the counter. The woman stared at her.

"Um, I had the chimichanga and a Coke."

"Okay?"

She showed the employee her cash. "I'd like to pay for it now."

"Well, if you insist, you can give me the money but your meal was already taken care of."

She turned around and stared daggers into her companion for the evening. "What did you do? I was going to take care of my own part." She was partially amused at what a gentleman he was, but annoyed because…this was _not_ a date!

"Miss McKinnon, I am a surgeon and my wife comes from an extremely wealthy family. If I can't treat my friends to dinner, what use is it having money?"

* * *

Sheldon didn't have work the rest of the weekend, and an impulsive thought popped into his mind as he and Penelope stood under the sky, getting ready to part ways.

"Miss McKinnon?"

"Yes?"

"I find myself not wanting the evening to end just yet. I'd like to show you someplace I like to go for a good show. Would you care to join me?"

"Um, sure," she smiled up at him. "I'd like that."

"Would you like to ride with me, or you can follow me in your car?"

"Well…since I don't know where we are going, maybe I should just ride with you?"

He nodded, but inside, he was happy, as she had chosen the option he was hoping for. He led her to his car, which was parked across from the side of the building.

After driving and chatting a little while, he approached the Missouri River on I-80.

"We're going to Iowa?"

"Yes."

"We're going to Iowa?" she repeated.

"Yes?"

He sensed apprehension on her part. "Just across the state line, I promise."

They rode in silence for quite a bit, and then she spoke up.

"You are a surgeon."

"I am."

"And your wife is wealthy?"

"Yes." He wasn't sure where she was going with her questioning.

"Then, you don't _need_ tax benefits. She doesn't _need_ insurance. Your reasons for marriage must have been rooted in something deeper."

"I was lonely. We both had a desire for companionship. That is all."

As he stared ahead at the road, he assumed she took his statement at face value, as she didn't ask anymore questions.

He reached the small road that led into Narrows County Park. He drove down a few dirt lanes, until he found a place to park the car. "Wait right there."

He walked around the car, and then held her door open. He held out his hand to help her out of the vehicle, which she took and then thanked him graciously. After she stood and shut the door, he locked the car with his remote. He adjusted his grip on her hand, lacing their fingers together, and he didn't let go.

* * *

Her stomach was doing somersaults. They were holding hands.

_Friends hold hands. Parents hold their kids' hands. Siblings hold hands. Friends hold hands. Had she already said that?_

She couldn't deny that her hand felt right in his as they walked underneath the moonlight.

They walked down a path and entered a wooded area. In front of her was a small creek with a footbridge across it. He guided her across the bridge and halfway across, they stopped. He turned and pointed. She followed his eyes, and in the short distance, she saw the lights from the Omaha Airport. There was nothing between them and the runways except for a few short yards of park land and the Missouri River.

"Whoa."

"Whoa indeed. Quite the view, isn't it?"

"It's great! But, we probably won't see much this time of night," she said.

"Au contraire. There are cargo and delivery planes that come and go at all hours of the night. Would you care to sit?"

She nodded, and he helped her to a sitting position, before settling in next to her. It was an old bridge, she could tell, because the structure had no sides, just a railing. Unsafe for children, but perfect for them, as they dangled their legs off the side of the bridge, and watched the airport on the horizon.

She sucked in a breath of air, as she felt his hand encircle her body and rest lightly against her waist.

They made small talk about some of the restaurants and shops in their corner of Omaha. Then, out of nowhere, he changed the subject.

"So, tell me, Miss McKinnon, in what great universe does your dream guy exist?" She knew it was his way of asking her what she wanted in a man.

She turned and gave him a half smile. "He doesn't."

"What?"

"I don't believe in the concept of 'dream guy.' If he's out there, he's out there. If he's not, he's not. But, if he _is_ out there, creating some fantasy does no good. His looks and personality will already be established. All it does is give me false hope and give him an impossible standard to meet."

"So, you believe in fate?"

"I don't know that I would say that…"

"You said it as if there is one guy out there for you. Doesn't that indicate a belief in fate?"

She shook her head. "If that's how you interpret it, I guess. But, that's not what I call it."

"It's very difficult to believe there is one person for you in the entire world. What if your one person dies in a car accident at a young age? What if your one person lives in China?"

"Then they are not the guy," she replied to him as if it were obvious.

He looked at her, as if waiting for her to continue.

"When it comes to romance, I think of three factors, none of which is fate. Proximity. Compatibility. Opportunity."

"That's incredibly practical."

She looked at his face. She had never asked his age, but with his son being in his 20s or early 30s, she could guess. But, his face was much younger than his years. His blue eyes danced. She was attracted to him, of course. But, emotion bubbled up inside her.

"Yup, that's me. Practical." She barely got the words out.

She was sure that he saw the tears trickling down her cheeks, as his hand came up and started rubbing her back gently.

He spoke to her softly. "Do you think _the guy_ is out there?"

She gathered herself. If she didn't get control of her emotions, she was in danger of having a full on breakdown right here in front of the doctor. She wiped the tears away with the back of her hand.

She appraised his question. She thought of the man sitting next to her, the one she had such a bond to. The man that had his right hand comforting her tenderly and whose left hand had a ring on it.

_If it wasn't Brandon and it wasn't Dr. Cooper…_

"No, I don't," she whispered, looking down at her lap.

He withdrew his hand from her. "Well, with all due respect, you're wrong."

She tried to lighten the mood. "I'm a mess! I don't like to clean, I can't walk in heels, and I have a bad habit of talking with food in my mouth. A guy would be crazy to date me."

"Look at me," he commanded, and she obeyed.

"You're beautiful. You're charming. You have a great amount of good in your heart. A guy would be _crazy_ not to turn his life upside down and marry you."

She gulped as she felt his eyes on her.

"You were right about one thing though, about the keys to romance."

"How so?"

"Proximity," he murmured as he inched toward her. "Compatibility."

She closed her eyes, as she felt the inevitable coming. His lips sweetly kissed hers, lingering for a moment, before he sucked on her lower lip and pulling away.

"And opportunity," he spoke softly, his face directly in front of hers.

* * *

She hadn't pushed him away, and that was half the battle. Her eyes were boring into his, and held a hint of curiosity.

He kissed her. Her lips were as soft as he had imagined. And, if he wasn't dreaming things, she felt her leaning into the kiss right as he pulled away.

He wasn't going to apologize. He wasn't sorry.

"Dr Cooper," she began.

"Yes?"

"That was…"

"Incredible?"

"Well, yes."

"Delicious?"

"I suppose."

"Life changing?"

"Don't push your luck, buddy."

"I'm teasing. But, I've wanted to do that for a long time."

"You have?" she asked quietly.

"Yes," he found himself nervous. "What…what did you think?"

"About the kiss?"

He nodded.

He saw that she closed her eyes and breathed in before answering. "I've never been kissed like that before. It was... unbelievable."

"Can I kiss you again?" It was the moment of truth.

"Yes," she answered without hesitation.

"Yes?"

"Yes," she smiled. "I'd like you to kiss me."

He tilted his face toward her, and this time, she met him halfway, giving into the movements of his lips. His hands found her waist, and her hands clung to his upper back. The kisses were gentle and innocent, and he was perfectly content with them that way.

But, that didn't stop him from being more than pleasantly surprised when her lips parted and he felt her tongue licking his lips, begging for more.

* * *

Penny sat in the sedan, watching the scenery fly by, as he drove her back to her car at the restaurant.

They had just spent the better part of two hours kissing, well making out. He was a very good kisser, and his lips were heavenly. She could still feel it on her neck where he had left a trail of kisses. They kept things pretty safe, except for his hands did find their way beneath her shirt, unclasped her bra, and helped themselves to second base. And, when she made it onto his lap for closer contact, she was surprised to feel his reaction to her pressing into her jeans.

"It occurs to me," his voice broke Penny out of her thoughts, "that your parents won't be with you at the theater tomorrow."

"That occurs to me too."

"And, my wife is out of town. Perhaps we could attend together, that way we don't have to go alone?"

The idea of attending the symphony with him thrilled her. She was going anyway, and so was he…so why not?

"I'd like that."

He pulled into the Las Dos Hermanas parking lot. "I'll pick you up at your place around 6:45?"

"Sounds good to me," she agreed.

She unbuckled her seat belt, but before she could go, he had leaned over and gave her a sound kiss on the lips. "See you then."

She was speechless.


	12. You Had Me At Cheesecake

_Hey guys. Just want to thank everyone for their kind words and support. You know the idiom "You write what you know"? Well, that is definitely not the case with this story, so it makes for a much more challenging endeavor. _

_But, as is often the case, that which challenges us also can be the most fulfilling. I have felt such love and encouragement, especially when broaching a topic that is not so popular (even with me)._

_I hope you guys enjoy this chapter. There is actually lots of story left to come, even though this may seem like a climactic moment. So hang in there. As I'm sure you understand with this kind of story, resolution is not always an easy road, or even possible. It will be a rocky road, indeed._

* * *

The next day, as Sheldon drove in his car, he felt a strange sense of self. He felt freer and more spontaneous than ever in his life. From a young child, he was completely focused on getting into medical school. Then, he was focused on his studies. Then, he was focused on his residency. Then, he was focused on getting onto the best staffs in the best hospitals. Impulsiveness was not typically a part of his personality.

He felt younger, too. Almost like a teenager. It was as if he was experiencing young love, the way he never did in his youth. He only wished he could court the young blonde openly, with grand gestures. He wished he could tell his friends about her, and that she could tell her family about him.

He remembered all those years ago, when he let Cathy go. He was not a believer in karma, but if he were, he would say this was his chance to be on the receiving end. Perhaps Lana would be understanding and come to the same conclusion he had with his first wife: that love should always trump what is convenient, what is easy. He had found someone he truly cared about and she would step aside. Hopefully.

It was just a bad time right now. Her father was very ill, and getting worse by the day. Even though he was pretty sure that she would not be heartbroken over the dissolution of their marriage, he couldn't bring any additional stress on her. For a brief moment, he wondered if telling her the truth immediately would actually _lessen_ her burden. He shook off the thought, and decided to ride things out. Eventually, it would calm down, and there would be an opportune time to have the conversation with her.

He pulled up Penelope's driveway to her guest house. He hopped out of the car, and carried the box he brought with him.

* * *

Penny heard a knock at the door. She glanced at the clock on the wall. 4:30.

When she opened the door, Dr. Cooper was standing there, holding a pizza box. He leaned down and placed a quick kiss on her lips.

"Wow, you're early," she remarked, as she motioned him to follow her inside.

"I took the liberty of bringing us dinner. I hope you don't mind?"

"Not at all, it smells great."

She momentarily became embarrassed. She was in a pair of pajama shorts and a ratty Huskers tee. "Sorry, I wasn't expecting you so early. Obviously, I'm not going like this."

He set the pizza down on the coffee table and stepped toward her. His arms enveloped her into a long hug, and when he pulled away from her, he placed a kiss to her forehead. "You look fine, Miss McKinnon. Lovely even."

She shook her head at him and rolled her eyes. "So formal."

He joked back. "You're just lucky I haven't asked you to call me 'Sir' yet."

"Oh geez. Well, if you call me 'ma'am', you are marching right out that door and going home. And leaving the pizza for me."

He mock saluted her. "Yes, ma'…..my lovely date for the evening."

She studied the pizza box. "I'm not familiar with this pizza. Is it nearby?"

"No, not really. I got it over in Iowa, this really backwoods place out in the boonies."

"You and Iowa. Nebraska pizza not good enough for ya?"

"Not at all. There are many pizza parlors that I enjoy in the vicinity. But, this is an indulgence of mine. I think you'll enjoy it."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, this place is positively Amish. No electricity. All their foods and pizzas are made on charcoal grills in the back and wood-fire ovens inside."

"Sounds interesting. I'll go get some plates. If you want, you can find something on TV while we eat. The remote is right here." She grabbed the remote control and tossed it to him.

She went into the kitchen, and got into the cabinet to get two plates. He continued to speak to her.

"I didn't know what kind you would prefer, so I got half plain cheese, and half Super Spicy."

"Super Spicy?"

She returned to the living room, and handed him one of the dishes.

"Yes, it is very unique. The sauce itself has a little extra kick to it. It also has spicy sausage, spicy peppers, pepper jack cheese, and a sprinkling of red pepper flakes on top. Ergo, super spicy."

She made a face like she approved. "Intriguing."

* * *

Gloria VanLue parked her minivan outside the McKinnon home. She got out and opened the back door and pulled out the three-way crock pot she had borrowed.

She went up to the door and knocked. After knocking and waiting for a few minutes, she admitted to herself that they weren't home. She looked over to the garage, where she knew their daughter lived. Her car was there as well as another car sitting outside, so she was likely home and had company. She decided she would just give the crock pot to Penelope and have her give it to her parents. She carried the black appliance across the way, then walked up to the girl's door.

She raised her hand to knock, but before she did, she heard a loud laugh. She listened closer. She then heard a low voice saying something she couldn't quite hear, followed by a female giggle.

She just couldn't pull her ear away.

* * *

"I'm kind of surprised that you like things spicy," Penelope noted to him. It was said completely innocently, and there wasn't even a hint of promiscuous intent attached to the statement.

"Well, clearly we need to get to know each other better. Do you like things spicy?"

"Sometimes. I'll try anything once." Okay, that time she purposely lowered her voice and winked at him.

He opened the box and pulled out a large piece of the spicy pizza. "Prepare yourself for an amazing experience." He pushed it toward her mouth to feed her.

She opened her mouth and shut it quickly. "No, it's too big; it will never fit in my mouth."

"Just one bite," he suggested. "You don't have to have the whole thing in one go."

"Hmmmm."

"If you don't like it, I will finish it myself."

"Okay, fine."

She opened her mouth and he placed the pizza inside for her to take a bite. At first she gave him thumbs up. "Mmmmmm," she mumbled to indicate she liked it. "That's really good."

Then, the spice kicked in. She held her tongue out of her mouth and flapped her hands to cool her mouth down. "Oh my gosh!"

"Holy cow!" she yelled, as she ran to get a glass of water from the kitchen.

When she came back to the living room, still wagging her tongue, he smiled. "So, how was it?"

"It was great, until I started thinking I was going to bleed from my eyeballs."

He chuckled. "So cheese for you then?" He began to serve her.

"Nah, one of each is fine."

He looked at her with an inquisitive look.

"It was a good kind of pain. It was the initial shock of it. I think I'll be able to handle it now."

She settled in next to him, and while he wanted nothing more than to wrap his arms around her and let the pizza get cold, he resisted. He turned the television on, and they each sat back, eating pizza and watching the local news.

* * *

Gloria VanLue's eyes were wide. She knew that her hearing wasn't what it once was, and she only caught bits and pieces.

Once she heard what was going on inside, she was frozen. She wanted to flee, but was terrified to make a noise and be caught. So, she just stood there like a deer in headlights.

Penelope's voice was fairly clear, while her male companion's was more difficult to decipher. But, what she did hear? It sounded pretty raunchy.

"Do you like things spicy?"

"I'll try anything once."

"Prepare yourself for an amazing experience."

"No, it's too big; it will never fit in my mouth." The older woman gasped, wanting to crawl into the nearest hole.

"You don't have to have the whole thing in one go."

"If you don't like it, I will finish it myself."

"Mmmmmm. That's really good."

"Oh my gosh!"

"HOLY COW!"

"How was it?"

"It was great, until I started thinking I was going to bleed from my eyeballs."

At this, her eyes widened further. _Just what kind of weird stuff was Wyatt and Jo's girl into anyway?_

"It was a good kind of pain. It was the initial shock of it. I think I'll be able to handle it now."

She heard the TV come on and made a break for it.

Gloria walked quickly back to the main house, and left the crock pot on the porch, under the awning.

She prayed that she could make it back to her car and down the driveway without being heard.

* * *

Penny was sleepily watching the news, belly full from the pizza. She was lying on the couch, with her head resting on the arm on one end of the sofa, and her legs resting in Dr. Cooper's lap.

Once again, they were in a situation that was not specifically romantic, as she had reclined this way a number of times with friends and relatives alike. He wasn't touching her a certain way; he actually wasn't touching her much at all. But, there was something so distinctively intimate about it.

Not even 24 hours ago they were just friends, and now they were…..well, friends. Friends that had shared very personal experiences with each other. Friends that had had their tongues down each other's throats.

When the program changed on the television, she looked at the time on the bottom right hand of the screen. It was 6:00. She sat up. For some reason, and she reflected on this moment much of the evening, she placed a kiss to his lips. He didn't counter, and sat there stiff as a board.

She took this as a challenge, and crawled up next to him, not quite in his lap and pecked at his mouth, becoming more and more urgent. But, the response she hoped for never came.

She sat back. "Well, I better go get ready. There is a bathroom just around the corner from the kitchen, on the right. In the cabinet are some spare toothbrushes if you would like to brush." The pizza was great, but it was definitely heavy on the garlic.

"Thank you, Miss McKinnon."

* * *

When she disappeared to prepare herself for their evening, he let out a sigh. He wanted to give in and kiss her, but they only had 45 minutes before they needed to leave, and he did not want to start something he could not finish.

One might think that after the previous evening, he would be riddled with guilt. But, he wasn't. He didn't feel guilty or ashamed. And _that_ was the part that made him feel guilty: that he didn't feel badly in the first place.

His wife had called him that morning. And during the entire conversation, his mind drifted to how smooth the skin of Penelope's back felt under his long fingers and how he could almost taste the salt on his tongue from when he kissed her tears away. The only part of the conversation he was aware of made him a truly horrible person. Lana had indicated her hope that her father would be able to just let go, so that he could be free from the pain and confusion. And, while he agreed with her aloud, he silently hoped that the man would continue to hang on, so that he would be able to have time alone with his new friend for as long as possible.

Sheldon heeded the girl's advice about brushing his teeth. In fact, he brushed his teeth three times for a total of five minutes a piece. There was only a hint of garlic left in the back of his throat, and he hoped that the mints he had in his pocket would help take care of that.

At 6:40 on the dot, his date for the evening returned to the living room. He stood immediately and took her in. It wasn't the fanciest outfit he had ever seen her in. And, she had gone extremely conservative on the makeup. But, she took his breath away. She was stunningly beautiful. He felt overjoyed to have her on his arm this evening.

She was wearing a black and white striped dress; it had sleeves that ended just above the elbow, flared out slightly at the waist, and ended right at her knee. She had a selection of black bangles around one wrist. Her feet were adorned with simple black flats. She had a ponytail perched high on top of her head. Her cosmetics were minimal, possibly even non-existent. The only makeup he noticed was the maroon gloss on her lips. And, on her face were a pair of glasses with thick black frames.

"You look lovely," he choked out. "Miss McKinnon, glasses are quite becoming on you if I may say so." He clearly wasn't the only one impressed, and Beeker hopped around, trying to get his owner's attention and wagging his tail ferociously.

She curtsied then grinned. "You may. And the glasses are for looks only, not function. My eyesight is exceptional."

A thought came to his mind that he tried to fight off. What program are they even doing tonight again? _We wouldn't miss much…_

She had taken such time to look so lovely, yet his only urge was to dispose of the dress and anything else on her body and have her right then and there.

He cleared his throat. "Well, then you would see that we should be going, as to not be late." He extended his bent arm out to her. "Miss?"

She stepped forward and threaded her arm through his. "Doctor."

He could smell a very subtle scent on her, not overpowering like the Chanel perfume that Lana adored.

This was going to be a very long night.

* * *

As they pulled into the parking lot outside the event complex, Penny looked at him.

"So, what's the plan?"

"The plan?"

"Like…are you going to go in first and sit next to an empty seat, and I happen to arrive a few minutes later? If I come in too early, there will be a lot of empty seats, and it will seem strange that I chose one next to you."

"I honestly didn't think of that. I had no plan. I was actually looking forward to walking in with you on my arm," he seemed perplexed.

Her eyes softened. "That's very sweet of you. But, there are people in there that know both of us. And a bunch more people who know us casually as regulars of the theater. Don't you think for us to show up together would cause some people to talk?"

"Let them talk!"

"Well, I would agree with you, except they may talk to _my_ parents or _your_ wife. Unless…" Penny was deep in thought.

"Unless?"

"Do you _want_ to get caught?"

"I'm sorry?"

"You feel like you are too deep into this and that there is no other way out. If you get caught before things get too far, that's your out. We could move on like none of this ever happened."

"No!" He protested. "That's not it at all."

"Then, why are you not trying to be more discreet?"

"If we got caught, if I got caught, it would be the catalyst to me having a very important conversation with my wife."

"I see."

"Now is not a good time though."

"I agree."

"Miss McKinnon, do _you_ want to get caught?" She felt his eyes on her, as if trying to read her thoughts.

"No," she answered honestly.

"Okay, so we can't walk in together. I'll go in first to get seats. Here are my keys; lock the door behind you. Wait maybe 15 minutes? Like you said, it would be odd for you to choose to sit next to me if there are a large number of seats available. However, you must not wait too long, as if someone wants to sit next to me, I can't very well tell them I am saving it for someone."

"Understood."

"How do you recommend we proceed following the conclusion of the performance?"

"I hadn't really given it much thought," she admitted, but the look on her face indicated she should have. "I could walk a couple of blocks down, where there are no street lights and you could pick me up. Or, there is the alley for the loading docks. I could wait there for you to pick me up?"

Dr. Cooper gave her a dark look. "Miss McKinnon, neither of those suggestions are very safe, and therefore make me very uncomfortable."

"Would you rather me wait inside for a half hour until we are sure no one will see us leave in the same vehicle?"

A thoughtful smile graced his features. "No, but that_ does_ give me an idea."

"Okay?"

He reached over and patted her knee. "We'll wing it." And with that, he got out of the car and Penny started to watch the clock.

* * *

Sheldon barely glanced up as the young lady approached him. "Sir, is this seat taken?" He shook his head and motioned for her to have a seat.

Their plan had worked to a tee, and she arrived at the perfect time. The theater was mostly full, but no one had yet approached him to use the open seat yet. He had chosen seats in a very prime area of the theater. It would not be unusual for someone to choose the sit near him over the ones available in other parts of the auditorium.

It was difficult to be too affectionate with so many people around, but just sitting next to each other was a treat in and of itself. Penelope crossed her legs toward him, and every so often, would caress his leg with her foot. And if they just so happened to brush hands while using the same armrest, well, there was no rush to pull them away.

At the end of the presentation, he squeezed her hand quickly when he didn't think anyone was looking. "Wait here," he mouthed to her, and he held up his phone, which she correctly interpreted as a request to have her phone ready.

He made his way down the hallway. He walked with confidence like he knew where he was going and had every right to be there. At the same time, he occasionally looked around to make sure he wasn't being followed. He jiggled on a few door handles, and finally found a room that was left open. The lights were off, but he turned the light on quickly to see if it was being used. From what he could tell, the room was unoccupied, and was just left unlocked by mistake. He flipped the lights back off, and then sent Penelope a text message.

_Our regular meeting room is locked. Come to Meeting Room 138 instead. Door will be unlocked._

Five minutes later, he saw his date's silhouette drift inside from the hallway. He immediately went to her and clutched onto her tightly. Meanwhile, he reached behind her and locked the door from the inside. He felt her tense when the audible click went into place.

"Why nervous?" he asked gently.

"I'm not," she protested. "I mean, I don't know. Just being silly, I guess."

His hands roamed, as he tried to find her body in the dark. He finally got a grip on the back of her head and began to run his hands through the hair of her ponytail. "I thought we could probably kill a half hour in here. Don't you think?"

Before he let her answer, he began to kiss her neck, her smooth youthful neck. "Uh huh," the girl managed to squeak out.

Their mouths found each other as they sank to the floor. Penelope laid back onto the cold parquet floor, and Sheldon followed, putting half his weight on her as they kissed in the dark. He didn't know whose tongue invaded whose first, but it happened, and they found themselves pulling apart, breathless over the scrum their lips had been involved in.

"Oh God," she whimpered.

"What's wrong?"

"You're a really good kisser."

He felt his cheeks redden in the dark. "Well thank you. It is a rather pleasing experience for me as well."

"I don't want to stop."

He felt a pit in his stomach, wondering what she meant. Did she mean she didn't want to stop kissing or that she didn't want to stop _at_ kissing?

He went back to kissing her neck, as his hands stroked her chest over her dress. "I know. Me neither. But, we have to."

He sat up, and he could hear her breathing heavily. He reached out to grasp her hand and pulled her to sitting position as well.

"Why?" Her voice was so small. "Is something wrong?"

* * *

Before Dr. Cooper could reply, Penny's phone went off. It was her parents.

"Hey Mom and Dad!" she answered.

"Hey Pen, did you go downtown tonight?_ Wizard of Oz_ tonight, right? Her mother's voice came over the phone."

"Yeah, I did. It was great!"

"I'm disappointed I missed it."

"How are the Wisconsin Dells?"

"We had a really good time. Of course, I prefer somewhere a little warmer, but it was nice."

"When are you starting home?"

"First thing in the morning. We should be home mid-afternoon."

"That's not too bad."

"Nah. Well, I just wanted to check in with you. I guess we'll see you tomorrow."

"Yep. Drive safe. Love you."

She ended the call, then looked at Dr. Cooper.

"Everything alright with your parents?" the doctor's smooth voice filled the room.

"Yup, they should be home tomorrow afternoon, they said."

"I think we are probably safe to make our escape. Are you ready?"

"No," she answered, both honestly and with an agenda in mind.

"No?"

"I just need to grab my purse," she felt around on the floor where she thought she last had it until she finally felt the straps in her hand. "Oh, and one more thing."

He stood and helped her to her feet.

"What's that?"

She stood on her tiptoes and kissed him. In the darkness, she missed his lips and got his cheek, but that was easily corrected as she expertly slid her lips over to capture his. She kept the kiss chaste, but waited a few seconds until he kissed her back before she pulled away from him.

"_Now_ we can go." Penny peeked outside the door and seeing the hallway was clear, started to walk toward the lobby.

It was a couple of seconds later that her companion matched her stride for stride, and slipped his hand into hers.

...

She had nodded off on the drive back home. She opened her eyes just in time to see him turning from the off ramp. Left instead of right. Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"Where are we going?"she asked groggily.

"I'm sorry, I didn't realize you were awake," he responded. "Well, yesterday, one of my patients brought me a Snickers cheesecake. I was hoping you'd join me for some. You were asleep, so I apologize for presuming."

"Sweetie, you had me at cheesecake. You presumed correct."

"I believe we'll have time for dessert, and a game or television or whatever you like, and I could still get you home before midnight."

"Are you giving me a curfew, Doctor?"

"Not at all. I just have to get rid of you before I turn into a pumpkin," he joked.

* * *

Once at his house, they sat at the kitchen island eating their cheesecake and sipping coffee for her, tea for him.

"I do love me some cheesecake," Penelope mentioned, licking the treat off her spoon. "If I believed in reincarnation, I think I'd want to come back as a worker at The Cheesecake Factory. Just think, you could have a different cheesecake every day!" Her eyes lit up.

"That's a very interesting choice," he frowned.

"Okay, smarty pants," she retorted, "what_ transformative_ figure would _you_ want to be reincarnated as?"

After a long pause, he spoke. "Your grade school friend, Brandon."

At this, he caught her cheeks turn pink. "Brandon? Why?"

"You gave your heart to him. I would not have let your friendship or you get away so easily."

She smiled demurely at him. "I wouldn't say I gave him my heart. I rented it to him for a little while. Okay, a big while. But…he doesn't have it now. That's all that matters."

Sheldon studied her and decided a change in topic was in order. "Would you like to meet my dogs?"

"Would I?! Are you kidding? Let's go" She hopped off the bar stool.

He led her outside. The yard was lit with the soft glow coming from the swimming pool. He took her several yards past the pool area, where there was a gated off section with five doggy Hiltons inside.

"Whoa, you weren't kidding when you said they live better than you," she exclaimed.

"Yes, they live quite the life of luxury. Miss McKinnon, I'd like you to meet Baxter, Marlo, Hulk, Deepak, and Princess Grace." He lowered his voice a little. "My wife picked that last one."

"I figured," she giggled. She then went from dog house to dog house to give each canine individual attention. The dogs wagged their tails and licked at the blonde excitedly.

She narrowed her eyes at him. "Seems like they like human contact more than you suggested."

They stayed there and played with the dogs for almost a half hour, before deciding to head back to the house.

They paused before the swimming pool and watched it sparkle under the night sky.

"Sometime, you will have to bring your suit over and we can go for a nighttime swim."

"Yeah, I will."

"_Or."_

Before she could turn to ask him "Or what?" he shoved her hard into the pool, grinning as he saw the water splash under her form.

However, when the girl surfaced, she was less amused than he thought she would be.

* * *

Penny treaded water until she could touch the bottom, and then trudged her way toward the steps, stopping only to grab her glasses that were floating atop the water. "What was_ that_?!" she yelled.

"You looked like you could use a swim," he shrugged.

"In my dress?! Are you mental? I mean, Lord, what are you, 12?" Her initial anger was fading to exasperation.

She got out of the pool, and started to shake her arms out to dry. She then twisted the hem of her dress to squeeze the excess moisture out.

Dr. Cooper approached her carefully. "I am most certainly not 12. The pool is heated, was it not? I apologize; I didn't realize you would take such offense to my sense of playfulness."

"I'm perfectly happy with your_ playfulness_," she gritted her teeth at him, "when it doesn't lead to me catching pneumonia!"

He said nothing. He just stood there, his eyes shining and a smile plastered on his face.

"Well, come on," she glared. "I'll go get my purse, and you can take me home."

He crossed in front of her immediately. "Why? Are you _that_ upset?"

"I _should_ be very upset with you, but no, I am over that. But, I am soaking wet, and I am not going to sit in your home dripping wet."

"I hardly think I should let you into my car soaking wet either."

Penny felt up to the challenge. "Well, since this is_ your_ doing, you hardly have a say in the matter, now do you?"

She was surprised when he stepped forward and embraced her tightly. Then, she felt his warm breath against her ear. "I don't want you to go. Stay with me tonight."

She felt her knees buckle. All kinds of thoughts were racing through her mind. Finally, he stepped away from her and seemed to compose himself.

"I have several guest rooms for you to choose from. You could use a towel, or I could see if I could find you something to wear, while I put your clothing in the dryer. It's late; you might as well stay over."

Her mind went to Beeker. He had been fed and given water before she left. And, he had a doggy door, so he could definitely let himself out to go to the bathroom. But, would he be lonely without her there? Would he miss her? Would he go looking for her?

But, then she looked up into Dr. Cooper's sapphire blue eyes.

"Okay," she said. "But, under one condition."

"Name it."

She pointed toward the dog village. "They sleep inside too."

"No."

"Okay, well take me home," she stepped closer and attempted to draw herself up to his height.

"Miss McKinnon, if I have them inside, my wife will see the dog hair they will inevitably leave behind, and she will not be happy with me."

"That's fine. That's your choice." She marched toward the house and went inside, slamming the door behind her.

She started rummaging through cabinets, and found a plastic container. She started to slice and put cheesecake into the tub.

He had finally made it inside. "What are you doing?"

"I am putting some cheesecake in a to-go container to take home with me."

He stood across the island from her. "But that's my cheesecake."

She pointed the pie server at him. "Really? You push me in the pool, and now my dress feels like it weighs about 50 pounds, and you won't let me have any cheesecake?" She wagged the server at him. "Try me."

He rounded the bar until he was facing her. He put a hand on either side of her against the countertop. She was momentarily terrified, but put on a brave face.

"It's _my_ cheesecake. No one takes my cheesecake without permission," he growled. Then, he leaned close to her to murmur in her ear. "And, I think I can help you with your dress problem."

At that moment, Penny heard buzzing in her ear. The room was spinning, and yet it wasn't. She felt like she was falling in slow motion, and yet trapped between his arms. It wasn't until she heard a loud clang that she realized she had dropped the utensil that was in her hands.

And then his lips were on hers.

Insistent.

Urgent.

Burning.

His lips were on hers, and they were devouring her. She thought of how she should make a run for it, to get out before things went much further.

But then, he was placing kisses against her neck, and she couldn't help but reach behind him and grasp his shoulder blades, clinging for dear life.

He pulled away for just a second, and she ducked under him to make her escape. "Dr. Cooper…" she said breathlessly. But, she didn't know what else to say. She had no thoughts.

"Yes?"

"I'm not sure…"

"I want this," he interrupted. "And you do, too."

"No, I don't," she claimed.

"Yes, you do, and you know it," he stated confidently. "And I know it." He crossed the room to her and pulled her against his body and kissed her, more sweetly this time than before. But, it wasn't long before the passion had escalated.

She could no longer hold back, and she found herself kissing him ferociously. Her hands were all over him, from his cheeks, to his back, to his waist. She grasped at his shirt, just to have something to hold onto.

She then felt herself being pushed down the hallway as they kissed. She knew the destination. It was the master bedroom. For a fleeting moment, she wished they could go upstairs to one of the guest rooms. It just felt wrong to do this in the bed he shared with his wife. But, she reasoned, if he was going to have an affair with her, it probably didn't matter where it happened.

"Wait!" She pulled away panting. "Are you, you know, healthy enough for this?" She avoided his eyes.

She blushed as the doctor looked down at his groin area. "I assure you that I am _more than able_ to do this. Can you not tell?"

"Oh God! I didn't mean_ that_." Her face continued to grow redder. "I meant, your heart. Like, you're not going to have a heart attack or anything, are you?" She felt like she was in some twilight zone that she was having to ask a man if his heart was healthy enough to be with her. And, she also worried that she had offended him.

He let out a loud chuckle. "Yes, I am perfectly healthy."

She let out a sigh of relief. "Okay."

This time, she flung herself at him, kissing him full on the mouth. The kiss was short-lived, as the older man pulled away. But, only long enough for him to grasp her hand and pull her into the bedroom.


	13. From Soreness to Strawberries

_Hey my lovelies!_

_Now, I am committed to keeping this rated T, but sometimes, you have to make references to certain situations. I would refer to the first half of this chapter as T+. It's not quite enough to raise to an M rating, but it's definitely more than a casual allusion. So, if you would prefer to avoid that, you can skip down to probably halfway through the chapter. You won't miss anything essential to the story. _

_Enjoy!_

* * *

As the morning light poured into the bedroom, Sheldon lay on his side and watched Penelope sleep. Her hair had come free of the ponytail holder, and it was laying in a ratty mess beneath her. Her lips were swollen and took on a purple-reddish color. He could still see where tears had dried against her cheeks. He sincerely hoped her tears were a result of the overwhelming passion and not something else.

The night had been a whirlwind of frenzy and desire. They had spoken barely five words between them during their three hours of activity, not counting the pleas and sighs that happened during the act itself. Truthfully, they did not need to talk. He felt like a touch telepath with her, that by placing his hand against her bare chest, he could feel and see in his mind the deepest longings of her heart.

Three hours had nearly killed him, though he would never admit that to her. His old body was not as spry as it once was. Eventually, he felt pain in his muscles, and his bones started to pop from overuse. He had a healthy heart, but it was beating extremely fast, even for him. But, with her body pressed up against his, he had felt her heart beating rapidly too.

He had left his shirt on to Penelope's chagrin. He didn't have anything to hide, as he was actually very toned for someone his age. However, with the fever pitch that they had worked themselves into, he couldn't take a chance that the beautiful woman would leave evidence across his back. Considering how tightly she had clenched onto his shirt, it was probably a wise move.

Sheldon knew that to an outsider, things may have seemed a bit quick. After all, they had shared their first kiss only the night before. But, between the two of them, it was a long time coming. The heat had been building between them for weeks, months, long before they had even met.

He had one regret, if he could call it that. When he woke up, they were both sleeping backs to each other, with space separating them in the bed. He would have much preferred to wake up with Penelope in his arms, where she was when he fell asleep. Somehow during their slumber, they had detached themselves from each other. This bothered him: he felt that their bodies would instinctually seek the other out, not the other way around.

Not long after he woke, Penelope had rolled onto her back, and he had relished the chance to watch the soft breaths leave her mouth.

So, here he was, a short time later, still watching her. She started to talk in her sleep, nothing understandable. Just pieces of words here and there. She licked her lips, and wiped them with the back of her hand. And, then he noticed her eyes starting to flutter. He started to get anxious. Momentarily, she would awaken, and it would be "the morning after." He wondered how she was going to react. Would she be filled with shame? Would she throw her clothes on haphazardly and run out the door? He hoped that she would open her green eyes and look lovingly into his.

He got his answer moments later, when Penelope came to life. She groaned loudly. "Oh God! I feel like I got ran over by a truck."

* * *

Penny held her forehead in her hand and tried to massage away the pain. "Oh God! I feel like I got ran over by a truck."

She tried to sit up but was immediately greeted by pain shooting through her thighs. She flopped back down on her pillow with a grunt. "What did you _do_ to me last night?"

Dr. Cooper looked affronted. "Miss McKinnon, I assure you, you were very much a willing participant in the evening's activities."

"Not the pool part," she glared at him.

"I meant the_ sexual_ activities."

"Why do I feel like I won't be able to walk for a week?"

"I would say that our sexual relations were much more, um…" he hesitated, seeming to try and find the right terminology, "vigorous than on average. I myself felt very exhausted and achy when we concluded."

"Well good." It may have been petty but she found some comfort in the fact that he had experienced some pain too.

She took time to turn her head and really look at him. He looked flawless. Not a single hair was out of place, which was disappointing to her, as she would have loved to see the doctor with bed head. She could almost see her reflection in his crystal blue eyes. Her eyes fell to his lips. Oh, his lips.

Those lips that had kissed hers with such conviction. Those lips that had claimed nearly every inch of her body. She saw him bite his lower lip nervously, and it sent a sensation through her.

While she felt dazed, she remembered their experience together very clearly. The gentleman next to her was anything _but_ gentle. She couldn't get the wild look in his eyes out if her head. He had owned her. He had acted with such ferocity and aggressiveness.

And she had let him. She had enjoyed it. At first it was intense and a little unsettling, but once she came undone the first time, she felt like she could relax and enjoy the experience. She fought to hide her embarrassment as the tears leaked out during that moment.

Still, she enjoyed every bit of it.

Until now. She had underestimated how physically daunting their actions were. And she certainly never expected to feel so spent and sore the next day.

She asked him in a strained voice, "Is it always like this?"

* * *

Sheldon processed her question in his brain, and the thought sickened him. _Is it always like this?_

_Did this mean…was that her first time?_

Of course it was, he reasoned. She had admitted to having physical relations with men, at least in the form of osculating, and it was his mistake to assume that this meant she had participated in anything further. She had also admitted that she didn't date a lot and had never had any serious relationships. He should have realized that she wouldn't be the type of girl to have a sexual relationship unless in a committed relationship…or whatever they were right now.

And, if he recalled correctly, he did remember a fair amount of resistance from her body that he had to push through. He didn't think anything of it at the time. But, he should have. He should have known her better. He should have realized she was giving him something very special.

But, he had been so eager to meld her body with his, he didn't think of anything else other than the lust that had overcome him in that moment. Initially their movements were quick and hasty. Towards the end, they were slower and more languid, but the motion itself was still powerful and deep. He could recall her whimpers with each push.

Today, he would give her something special. He wanted to make love to her, the way two people who care about each other do. The way that things should have been last night, at least in the beginning, instead of two people consumed by hunger.

He shook his head in response to her question, but whispered, "I'm sorry."

He drew the sheet back off her body. He took in two greenish-gray spots near her collarbone where he had slipped and bit down in the heat of the moment. Her body was stunning, and he had missed it the night before. He hadn't taken time to properly appreciate it. Her skin was smooth and unblemished. While not overweight in the slightest, she still had the body structure of a hearty Nebraska farm girl. He noticed a scar on her lower abdomen and traced it with his finger.

"What's this?" he asked.

"Gall bladder," she replied.

He didn't stop his attention toward her body. He began to trace circles lightly along her stomach, which he followed up with kisses along the same path. When he pulled away, he noticed she had laid her head on the pillow and closed her eyes.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"I want to show you how a man properly makes love to a woman," he said softly.

At this, her eyes flew open, and he could sense the fear.

"I promise to be gentle," he lifted his shirt over his head. He then took her hands in his and kissed each fingernail, "as long as_ you_ promise to be gentle."

She sat up and started to mumble incoherently. While he couldn't decipher her exact words, he knew what she was intending to say.

"Darling," he said, and her eyes found his. "I know you are in a lot of pain right now. And, I know you are scared. But, trust me. The best way to get over the aching is to let me do this for you. This is how it should have been last night. I'm sorry that I got carried away."

"You'll be gentle?" she questioned.

"Yes, I promise," he answered running one hand through her hair.

She nodded, and opened her mouth, the tiniest of whispers coming out. "Okay."

He gave her a small smile, and leaned down, kissing her cheek. Then, he placed a leisurely kiss against her lips. It took a couple of minutes of light kissing, but she finally relaxed into him, ready for more.

* * *

Penny sat on the bed, with her knees pulled up to her chest. Dr. Cooper had disappeared into the bathroom.

This morning had been an entirely new experience. She felt so safe, so taken care of. His hands had caressed her softly. He had stopped to ask her how she was doing every step along the way. He had whispered to her periodically about how beautiful she was and how much she meant to him. As they joined together, his eyes locked on hers, in what seemed like an attempt to make sure she was alright. Afterwards, he held her tightly as they slept on and off. It was almost protective, and she felt truly content.

She noted that he had referred to it as "making love" and wondered if that was really what they were doing. Considering the tenderness that he showed her, she would definitely call it that…but the specific situation they were in stopped her from saying the words outright. She knew it had been more than sex. More than just a little fun. He cared for her, and she for him. So, yes, they had made love.

The thought overtook her at once. Here she was, sitting naked, basking in the afterglow of being truly loved, meanwhile she was in the bed that the man shared with his wife. She imagined how she would feel if the same thing happened to her mom, to _her_, and she couldn't fathom how destroyed she would feel. The tears bubbled through her eyes, and within a minute, they had escalated to outright sobs.

By the time Dr. Cooper entered the room, she was nearly hyperventilating. He immediately crawled onto the bed and held her in his arms, shushing her. He stroked her hair lovingly.

"What's wrong?"

Once she had calmed down enough to speak, "I gave myself to you…we…this is your marriage bed…your wife…" she spat out in segments.

"Was it…bad?" she saw him gulp.

She wiped the tears from her face. "No, this morning was incredible. And last night was so extreme. It would be so much easier if this didn't _mean_ anything. If it was some one night stand or fling, it would be easier."

"But feelings are involved," he said knowingly.

She nodded.

"I know this won't make it better, but as I said before, my wife and I are only intimate in very rare circumstances. It's been over a year."

"So you just wanted to get some action?!" she screeched.

"No! Not at all. The point is that it doesn't matter whether it is in this bed, the couch, your bed, the swimming pool." He nuzzled her neck with his nose and received the small laugh he was hoping for. "The point is, no matter the place, I want to make love to _you_._ You_ are the key variable."

"Swimming pool?" she asked, feeling the conversation lighten.

"I told you that you need to join me for a nighttime swim."

"You told me to bring my suit. Can I take it that it is swimsuit optional now?"

"No, it is swimsuit_ forbidden_ now."

* * *

Later that week, Joanna McKinnon was grocery shopping. As she pushed the cart, she saw her old friend Gloria coming up the aisle. She smiled and greeted her politely.

"Jo, did you get your slow cooker?"

"Yep, I got it."

The woman sighed in relief. "Oh good, I was so worried that it may get stolen or the weather may get to it. Thank you so much for allowing me to use it."

"That is no problem, Gloria. I'm sorry that Wyatt and I missed your brother-in-law's funeral. How was it?" she asked sympathetically.

"It was beautiful. Francine is sure having a hard time, but she was touched that so many people came over for the meal. The crock pot was such a blessing. We had a lot of food to try to keep fresh and warm."

"I'm glad."

Gloria couldn't resist. "You know, I was going to just give it to Penelope, but I didn't want to interrupt her company."

"Company?"

"A boyfriend perhaps?"

"_My_ Penelope? A boyfriend? I doubt that."

"Well, there was a car in the driveway, and when I went to her door, I heard voices inside…talking. It sure _sounded_ like a boyfriend." She didn't want to give too much away.

"_My_ Penny had a boy over?" Jo acknowledged that Penny was a grown woman, more than capable of making her own choices. And she respected that. But, she had always been so open and honest with them, she didn't think it was something she would hide. Why hadn't she told them if she was seeing someone?

Her mind flashed back to some recent incidents, most notably the evening at Pope's Chicken when Penny had seemed distracted, sneaky, caught. Something was definitely going on with her daughter.

"Well, you know, my hearing hasn't been all that great, so it may have been a girlfriend of hers, for all I know. Forget I said anything," Gloria insisted.

"What kind of car was it?"

Gloria knew exactly what the car was. But, she had been young once. "I can't really recall, Jo. It was a sedan. Gray or blue maybe?"

* * *

Sheldon and Penelope spent the next several weeks getting to know each other, both mentally and very _very_ physically.

The next weekend after their encounter, he had sat alone in the theater, with his wife having left for Norfolk for the weekend to take care of her father. Penelope was with her family near the front of the theater. He had looked up to see her walking up the aisle. She gave him the briefest of glances, and a very clear smirk as she passed.

He discreetly followed not long after.

They had tucked themselves underneath a stairwell, getting hot and heavy rather quickly. Their hands remained in plain sight, and clothes remained on. But, they had crammed as much kissing and sweet whispers into those five minutes as humanly possible.

They had also begun to meet for lunch a couple of times a week at a café near the hospital where Sheldon worked. Penelope always dressed smart, and to an observer, it may look like a doctor having lunch with a colleague or maybe even a daughter. They always went for a late lunch. By the end of their meal, the restaurant had usually thinned out to three or four tables.

At that point, he and Penelope would modestly excuse themselves to the restroom, where they both entered the ladies' room, designed for only one person to use at a time. They would lock the door behind them and spent their minutes inside kissing and allowing their hands to roam above and below clothing. On a couple of occasions, when desire had gotten the better of them, they took full advantage of her wearing a skirt and his scrubs' ease of removal. Luckily for them, there had never been someone waiting outside for the restroom yet.

He always tipped extremely generously, for one because of what they were_ really_ using the café for. And, for two, Penelope was not as quiet as she thought she was in those moments of pleasure, and he was fairly sure someone on the staff had probably heard them, or at least her, at some point. But, no one had ever said a word, and they were always treated with the highest standard of service.

* * *

Penny fondly remembered the night they spent at the hotel. They had spent the night together a number of times. With his wife going out of town nearly every weekend, she found herself in his home often. She had finally gotten to take that swim under the moonlight. Well, it wasn't _much_ of a swim, but it was under the moonlight anyway.

In the rare instances that her parents went out of town for the day or overnight, he would come over to her place. As luxurious as his bed was, she still preferred to be with him in her bedroom. Each time was different, yet amazing in its own way. Every time she returned to sanity from the haze of happiness, she found herself feeling loved and treasured.

Except for those times down at the café downtown. Those times were just pure greed and lust.

One weekday, Dr. Cooper had been on call for the overnight shift at the hospital. Normally, he stayed in the doctors' quarters at the hospital itself, so his wife would not have suspected anything. This particular evening, they had made plans to spend the night together. So, he booked a room at the nearest luxury hotel. They had planned to order in room service, watch television, and make a lot of love in between.

After a long, hot day working on the farm, she arrived to the hotel, and went to the room that he had texted her the number and directions. He greeted her warmly. He was in the hotel-provided plush robe.

He had directed her to the bathroom, where she got undressed and put on her own plush robe. When she emerged from the bathroom, she had been positively giddy, as sitting on the bed was a silver platter of chocolate covered strawberries. A bottle of cider sat on the side table, and he was preparing two flutes in which to pour the cider. Dr. Cooper wasn't much of a drinker, and honestly, neither was she. But, he definitely could not be drinking alcohol while on call, so the cider would have to do.

They had sat on the bed watching _Return of the Jedi_, side by side. They ate the strawberries, occasionally feeding each other the delectable treats. They also occasionally stole kisses to the lips and neck.

But, the bliss had been short-lived, as he received a phone call needing him to do a possible emergency surgery on a patient. He slipped out of his robe and put on his scrubs and physician's coat.

"Hopefully, I'll be back soon," he had said.

After he left, she watched the end of the movie and finished off the cider. She had then decided to shrug off the robe, revealing a rather skimpy, at least by her standards, lingerie set. She had reclined on the bed, wanting to look seductive and ready when he walked back in the door.

Unfortunately, she had underestimated how exhausted she had been from working in the fields, and not long after, she had passed out completely. And, that's where she was when he had returned to the room. From what he had told her, it took every ounce of control for him to keep from waking her up and doing unspeakable things to her. He too had been tired from the (successful) surgery he had just completed.

So, instead of a night full of lovemaking, they spent a night full of sleeping. But, it was in each other's arms and that made everything worth it.

The next morning, she had made it up to him. Before he awoke, she had put some bath salts into the Jacuzzi tub and filled it with water as hot as she could stand. She had taken the liberty of ordering mimosas and a fruit assortment for breakfast. She had arranged the tray next to the tub. Then, she had gently brought him out of his slumber and guided him to the bathtub where they both sank into it.

They had sat at opposite ends facing each other, talking, sipping their drinks, and eating fruit. There had been lots of innocent poking with feet, laughs, and at one point, she had taken a grape and tossed it toward his mouth, where he caught it between his teeth. She had raised her hands in victory, while emulating a crowd going wild.

Penny had felt such utter joy at being able to spend time with this man. Then, at one moment during their soak, the tension started to fill the room. They had gone quiet, and when she brought her eyes up to his, they were filled with hunger. She had bitten her lip nervously and that set him off.

He had stood and exited the tub, and held out his hand to help her out. They had nearly sprinted to the bed and collapsed onto it in a fit of delightful movements. And then, while cleaning themselves off, he took her in the shower just for good measure.

Penelope emerged from her wonderful memory and could still feel her back being slammed against the cool tile. Things were incredible.

That is, until one day when she got a phone call.


	14. Michael

_Disclaimer: As you know, I certainly do not own TBBT. _

* * *

Penny was seething with annoyance. She couldn't help herself; she wanted to corner the doctor. So, she went onto the internet, and after a few minutes on Google, she found the phone number to his office at the hospital. She wasn't sure if he was working today, but it didn't hurt to give it a try.

She dialed the number and a perky, yet stern voice answered on the other end. "Dr. Cooper's office. How may I help you?"

"Hello, I was wondering if I could make an appointment with Dr. Cooper."

"Okay, what is the child's name and referring doctor?"

She sighed. "Oh no, I'm sorry. I didn't mean a _medical_ appointment. I meant a personal visit. That is, if he has some free time in the next couple of days."

"Well, let me see…"

Either the woman had unsuccessfully covered the phone with her hand, or she thought she put the phone on hold and hadn't, because Penny could hear her talking with someone else, and it was about her.

_Molly, does Dr. Cooper have any free time today or tomorrow?...A personal appointment…yes, I think it is one of his women…_

Her eyes went wide at this. One of his women? She knew that logically, she had no right to be angry. After all _she_ was an other woman. Why would she have justification to be upset if he had _other_ other women? Yet, she felt sick to her stomach.

_Yes, perhaps that is the best idea…I will tell her._

"Miss?" the voice returned.

"Yes?"

"I'm sorry, but Dr. Cooper is very busy. Perhaps I could give him your number and he could call you back? Or you could contact him at his personal number?"

"Oh, yeah, I see." A thought popped into her head. "But, just so you know, this isn't _one of his women_. This is…his son's girlfriend."

"Michael? Michael's girlfriend?"

"That's right."

"Well, he _did_ have 20 minutes set aside for a conference call that got cancelled…"

"That's fine!" Penny jumped on it. "It will be a quick visit."

"I suppose I can pencil you in."

"Thank you. And, I was hoping to keep this a surprise, so if you could not tell him who his appointment is with, I'd appreciate it."

"Okay, dear. Name?"

"Penelope."

"Okay, can you come by at 2:15 Penelope?"

"Yes, I'll be there."

...

The frustration she had felt before had slightly lessened. Only now, she felt a combination of frustration, anxiety about how she was going to confront him, and heartbreak at the idea that he was a serial cheater.

She made her way through the hospital to the pediatric wing. She presented herself to the receptionist, who led her to Dr. Cooper's office door. The woman knocked and went ahead of her.

"Your 2:15 is here, sir."

"Send them in" she heard his voice.

The receptionist stood in the doorway and motioned for her to enter. Penny strode confidently in the room. If he was surprised by her presence, his expression certainly didn't register it.

"Dr. Cooper," she said with purpose.

"Yes, please, sit down," he gestured to a chair. She sat, heard the door shut behind her, and the lady was gone.

She sat and glared at him. He responded with a look of nothing more than professional courtesy. "What may I help you with today, Miss McKinnon?"

"You are a very hard doctor to get an appointment with, you know that?" She tried to restrain her anger, but it crept into her voice.

"Am I?"

"Yes, apparently, if you are one of Dr. Cooper's_ women,_ the staff isn't quite as helpful."

His eyes softened toward her. "You don't believe that, do you?"

She just glowered at him as a response.

"Darling, those women have no idea what they are talking about. They are gossip queens. They make up these ideas in their heads…and they run with them."

"Really?" She didn't try to hide the disbelief in her voice. "They just make those things up based on nothing at all?"

He pondered for a moment. "I really can't think of anything, no. Well…" he added.

"Ah, there's a well."

"No, it's nothing," he waved his hand flippantly.

She stared at him, waiting expectantly.

"Well, it must be seven years ago or so now. My ex-wife Cathy worked downtown here. We remained friendly as I told you. For a couple of weeks, she came by my office nearly every day I was in. She would bring lunch in for us."

"Okay?" Penny's expression was harsh.

"You see, Michael was graduating from college, in addition to preparing for his move to Portland. We were getting together to coordinate a surprise celebration for him. We were planning a big party for extended family and friends. Then the immediate family- myself and Lana, as well as Cathy, her husband Danny, and their other kids, and Michael of course- would be departing for a celebratory vacation to Hawaii."

Briefly, she forgot her anger with him, and found herself dreaming of a vacation in sunny Hawaii.

He spoke and shook her out of her vision. "There were a great number of details to hash out, as it were. She came by maybe a total of six times, within a two week period. We were both working downtown, and it was just easier to meet for lunch. But, she always came without an appointment, and I suspected that bothered them.

And, a few years ago, after my father had passed, my sister called me at work every day or every other day for several weeks. When they came to tell me '_Missy_ called,' they always said her name a little bitterly, now that I think about it, accusingly? My sister is a lovely woman, by Western standards that is. There was a good amount of paperwork to deal with, in regards to my father's estate. So, one day, she came by my office with our father's attorney. And, she never called me at work again. Hmm…I suppose that could seem suspicious."

"It could."

"Other than that, there have been a few women here and there that have visited me for meetings, but not an unusual number by any means."

Penny was thinking. "Even after you clarified the misunderstanding with Cathy and Missy, they still continued to be suspicious?"

"Clarified? My personal dealings are none of_ their_ business. I never told them who they were or why they contacted me. And, they never asked. Had they asked, I would have answered them honestly."

Everything clicked into place. "Ohhh...so you have one of _those_ offices. Kind of like, 'Don't ask, don't tell,' right?"

"I suppose the metaphor is close."

"Well, Dr. Cooper, a lot of the times when women, especially women pre-disposed to gossiping, are not told details or facts about something, they assume it is because you have something to hide. Then, as you said, they run with it."

"I see."

"No one's at fault. It was a simple misunderstanding. You should have told them who and why women were coming by your office unannounced or calling all the time. And, they should have asked before assuming."

"I suppose from now on, I will try to be more transparent with them. I will also assure them that asking questions of me isn't completely prohibited, so to prevent confusion."

"I think that's a good idea."

"I'm curious…who do they think _you_ are, that you were able to get an appointment with me?"

Her resentment returned. "Yes, let's discuss it, shall we? I happened to get a phone call last night."

"Oh, _did_ you?" Dr. Cooper did not seem surprised and was avoiding her gaze.

"You know I did. It was your son, asking me out on a date."

"I see. And how'd that go?"

"I told him I'd think about it," she said through clenched teeth. "But, here is the funny part. I was _shocked_ when he told me he got my phone number from his _dad. His dad!_" Her hands were gesticulating wildly as she spoke.

"And have you thought about it?"

She looked at him like he was speaking a foreign language. "Did he not wonder how you had my number in the first place?"

"Miss McKinnon, if you could compose yourself long enough to hear the entire story, may I start at the beginning?"

She nodded, but was not amused.

"I spoke to Michael the other evening; most of our conversation centered around his impending move. Toward the end, he asked if I could ask my wife to contact her old friend to get the number of 'the blonde from the theater.' At that particular moment, I was so stunned, I didn't know how to react, so I just said that I would see what I could do, and left it at that."

She spoke in her calmest voice. "Okay, then why not the next time he asked about it just say that you left a message and hadn't heard back yet?"

He shook his head. "That would only delay the inevitable. He would expect an answer at some point."

"Then why not say that Lana called and my parents said I was already seeing someone?"

"I was afraid that would twist things around even worse. If he said anything to her about getting your phone number, and she had no clue what he was talking about, I would have even more explaining to do. Plus, I was kind of hoping you would just tell him yourself."

"Okay fine. But, after all that, why didn't you call me and warn me? At least, you could have prepared me for what was coming."

The doctor was speechless.

The gears clicked into place in Penny's brain. "You _wanted_ him to call me. You wanted to see what my reaction would be. You wanted to test me."

"No," he said firmly. Then much more quietly, he added, "I think it may not be such a bad thing if you and Michael were to date."

She couldn't believe what she was hearing. "What?"

"You would be great for him; and I think he would be really good for you, too. I've always wanted my son to have the very best. And, you are the very best."

She stood and willed the tears back down. She would have time to cry later. "What…what about us?"

"What _about_ us?" Dr. Cooper asked dismissively.

She could feel a dagger being thrust into her stomach. "So, you don't want to see me anymore?" She could barely speak.

"Who said anything about not seeing each other? This way, we will probably see even _more_ of each other. And, I see no reason why our relationship has to change. I still feel the same way about you."

"Are you crazy?!" she shouted.

At this he stood, and his voice was a snarl. "Miss McKinnon, I assure you, this hospital has strict protocol on the mental capacity of their medical staff, especially physicians. I have been tested, and no, I am not crazy."

He walked around his desk to face her. He still maintained a small distance, but he wanted her to know of his intimate feelings toward her.

"Okay, I can almost buy you cheating on your wife, because you explained to me the extenuating circumstances. I know it's not right, but it's not as terrible as it _could_ be. But, for you to knowingly get your own son into a relationship destined for failure, that's just…it's not the right thing to do."

"I don't _know_ it's destined for failure."

"But, you do know that you will be sleeping with your son's girlfriend. That certainly won't help."

For the first time in the conversation, he seems to show some emotion. "Is_ that_ all it is? Sleeping together? If so, I suppose I made the correct choice in giving him your contact information."

"You know it's not," she answered quietly. But, her volume came back as she spoke further. "But, you _do_ realize how messed up this is, right? You cheating on_ your_ wife with a woman who is cheating on_ her_ boyfriend…who happens to be your son?"

"It seemed logical to me. I thought if anything, we would get to be around each other more, each other's families. It would be a natural progression. And, if you and Michael do crash and burn, as I suspect, perhaps by then, I will be free to…"

She couldn't believe how detached he was being about the whole situation.

"You're unbelievable!" she interrupted him, shouting. She stalked toward the door, and as he came closer, she held up her hand, warning him to not follow her. "Don't even try talking to me. Just don't."

She walked with purpose down the hospital corridors with her head held high, even though every part of her wanted to crumble into pieces.

* * *

Sheldon was mildly surprised when Michael and Penelope started dating a short time later. He shouldn't have been; after all, _he_ was the one that pushed them together. And, as he predicted, it led to seeing her a lot more.

Michael was still torn between renting a condo or buying his own home. If he chose the latter, he would need to live with his parents for at least four or five months, to save up for the down payment. So, until he saved up a down payment or made the decision to rent, he would be staying with his parents. Which was fine by all involved.

Penelope was at his house quite a bit. Occasionally, his son would go over to the McKinnons or they would have an evening out. But, more often than not, their time together was spent at their home. Sheldon found himself working a lot of late nights.

He hadn't told her the entire truth at the hospital, regarding giving his son her contact information. He hadn't_ lied_, persay, but he had left out some critical information. He thought that someday, maybe he would share the whole story with her. Maybe on her wedding day.

Take out was a staple in the Cooper household, mainly due to his wife's not being able to, or at least refusal to cook. Their meals together were full of chatter, thoughts from the day. He and Penelope were always the quietest. But, because it was already in their nature, neither Lana nor Michael seemed to notice.

Eye contact between the two was frequent. In the beginning, Penelope's were filled with deep sadness and he in turn, attempted to fill his with the regret he felt. Then, as things seemed to thaw between them, their eyes would twinkle, at some inside joke or something the other two would say that reminded them of their time together. During those moments, each one would have the tiniest of smiles on their lips, one that only the other could see. And then, one day, she was looking at him with a stare that he was not unfamiliar with, one that he had seen a number of times during their relationship: longing. He would find out later, from his wife no less, that when looking at his son's girlfriend, his eyes would deepen into a dark blue.

One night, while laying in bed with his wife, preparing to go to sleep, she had taken off her glasses and laid them on the night stand. "I don't think you like Michael's girl very much, do you?" she had asked.

"What?"

"It's just that, when you look at her, your eyes go dark, maybe anger or jealousy that she seems to spend more time with your son than you do? Just a thought."

Lana didn't like Penelope much, but they never talked about it. She never said she _didn't_ like the girl, but she never said she _did_, and that fact spoke volumes. While she tolerated her when she was around, and never mentioned her in a bad way, Sheldon could tell that his wife dismissed the girl as a passing dalliance. This seemed odd to him, as she had nothing but good things to say about her parents.

He would never forget how he felt the morning he came back from grabbing the newspaper from the driveway, and saw her walking down the stairs, yawning. She was wearing the same clothes she had been wearing the night before, but they were disheveled.

He couldn't breathe. He felt a set of invisible hands strangling him into a slow, cruel, painful death.

It wasn't until later when he went upstairs to wake his son that he saw a second guest room had been occupied. The room at the end of the hall's bed was unmade, and as he poked his head in, he took in her unmistakable perfume. He felt very relieved and grateful.

And, he definitely hadn't been prepared for what had come next. When he woke Michael up, after a minute of him coming to, he sat up. Sheldon's cheeks flushed when he noticed his son's body awakening as well, and he grabbed a pillow to cover himself. "Gah, Dad, I'm sorry!"

His son was appropriately embarrassed, but it was a natural bodily response. "You are a grown man. These things happen, from time to time."

Michael had asked his father to shut the door, which he did. "I think I know why this happened," he spoke in hushed tones. "I got up to go to the bathroom last night. Well, I was down by Penny's room, and I heard her. I thought she was on the phone or something, so I stopped to listen for just a little bit."

The younger man's eyes went wide as he talked. "I heard the mattress, um, shifting. And, she was making these little noises. Gasps and squeaks." The two men's eyes held each other. Michael seemed to be making sure his father understood what he was saying. "Then, get this. As she…um, released her…tensions I guess you could say, I could hear a muffled groan. But, then she said. 'Oh, Dr. Cooper.' Then I heard her breathing really hard."

Sheldon could only gulp down this new information.

"So, either she has taken to calling me Dr. Cooper, which I wouldn't mind by the way," his son waggled his eyebrows, "I'm hearing things, or I'm having some crazy dreams." Then, he added as an afterthought and clearly a joke as he could barely say it without laughing, "Or, she's having some dirty thoughts about you."

His son erupted into laughter.

He forced a smile, and tried to fight off the thoughts that were invading his mind.

It was too late. The damage had been done.

* * *

JoAnna McKinnon looked up from the counter where she was mixing up biscuit dough for her chicken pot pie. She watched her daughter and new boyfriend as they worked. They were cooperatively chopping up vegetables at the dining room table. They sat side by side and talked, but it just wasn't all that romantic.

Jo thought the relationship was very strange. They weren't really affectionate. They didn't talk lovingly to each other. They didn't go out on dates very often. Heck, even when he was at the symphony, they hardly spoke to each other, just a quick hello before going their separate ways. But, they spent a decent amount of time together, so it must be somewhat serious, she reasoned.

She liked the boy; she just wasn't sure if_ Penny_ liked the boy. She rarely even talked about him. She didn't talk about how much she liked him, how handsome he was, what she liked about him, what their dates were like, if he was a good kisser, and on and on. Jo had waited _years_ for her Penny to get a boyfriend, so they could have some girl talk. But, now that she had one, her normally open and straightforward daughter had closed herself off.

The woman knew, however, that Penny had been acting strange long before her relationship started. But, she thought back to the first time Michael had come over for Sunday dinner.

She had asked him how long he had been in town, and when he answered, she did the math. Whoever it was that Gloria VanLue had seen, it wasn't him. This gave her more questions than answers. Had Penny been seeing someone else before this boy? And was it so casual, that she was able to move on from it so quickly? Her daughter had always been adamant that she was not interested in casual dating. And when she had suggested Chris Rosenbaum as a possible dating partner, she had_ insisted_ she wasn't interested in a relationship.

And now, not only may she have had a secret boyfriend, but she may have had a secret hook-up?

Before he had left, Michael had thanked them for being willing to give his step-mother their daughter's phone number, that he really appreciated it. She simply nodded at the time, but was completely perplexed when she had asked her husband about it later, and he assured her that _he_ didn't give anyone Penny's number. And, she _knew_ _she_ hadn't.

Between Penny and Michael's less than couple-y actions, her daughter's odd behavior over the last few months, and the mystery of the phone number, Jo had a sinking feeling. Things were just not adding up.


	15. An Odd Convergence in the Woods

_I own nothing, except for whatever comes out of my own little brain._

_Btw, guest, if you like things that tick you off, you are going to LOVE the next BBT episode._

_Sigh._

* * *

One weekend, Penny was at the Cooper household at Michael's request. He was joining some sort of adventure league called Quest. He had told her a little bit about it, and while she encouraged him to pursue the group, she wasn't so intrigued by it that she was compelled to join herself.

Michael decided he wanted to run a simulated quest to practice for the try-outs which would be in the upcoming weeks. The Quest league was very difficult to get into, as they did not expand their membership. Only 15 teams were allowed, and when a team left the group, it opened a very competitive trial session to get accepted into the club.

It was a Friday evening, and this particular weekend, Lana's sister was taking care of their father, so she stayed home. So, to help with the simulation, Dr. Cooper, Lana, Penny, Michael's friend Keith, his stepfather Danny, and another friend, T.J., agreed to participate. They all sat around the dining room table, when Michael stood to explain the rules.

"We will be sorted into three teams of two. T.J. will be the moderator for this event. The purpose of the quest is to get to the finish line before any other team, with the finish line being some sort of prize. When we go out, each team will be blindfolded, and dropped off at an undisclosed location, equidistant from the prize. This quest could take a couple of hours or it could take all night. Each team will be equipped with blankets, bottled water, and some snacks, just in case it takes longer we expect. You'll also each have one of these."

He set down a small black box in front of his father, stepfather, and kept one in his hand. "I'll have Teej explain the communicators in a little bit. You will have to turn in your cell phones. No compasses. No maps. You will be allowed only the items we supply. Once we begin, the object of the game is basic: find your way from your location to the prize. We will each be stationed exactly three miles from the prize itself. If you go too far in one direction, you could find yourself several miles out of the way."

She raised her hand and he told her, "I'll save questions for the end, Pen." She looked across the table and saw Dr. Cooper's eyes on her.

"The prize itself will be in plain sight. Once you see it, you'll know it. That said, it will only be visible during the day, so any activities in the evening may not only be in vain, they may also put you in a worse position than you were before, if you happen to get lost. So, as to the teams. Myself and Keith will be on a team. Danny, you and Lana will be on a team. And the last team will be Dad and Penny."

She bristled at the use of her nickname. She had never asked him to call her that. One day, he happened to be at her house, and heard her parents calling her Penny, and he had continued to do so ever since. It hadn't been worth it at the time to correct him, and now, she wished she did.

Lana spoke up. "Michael, dear, don't you think your girlfriend would prefer to be on a team with _you_?"

He was quick to respond. "And, I would love to be on a team with _her._ But, Keith and I are trying out for the league as a pair, and it is important for us to gain practice as a team." He added. "But, I _did_ want Pen to be safe, which is why I paired her with a man, and not you. And, she at least knows Dad well enough that I think she'll be comfortable. And you know Danny, so it just seemed like the best options."

Lana just nodded.

Penny looked up and caught her partner's eye. She started to chew nervously on her lower lip, before tearing her gaze away.

"T.J., would you care to talk to us a little about the communicators and how they work?"

T.J. stood and Michael took his seat. "These little black boxes are kind of like one-way walkie-talkies. You will hear my voice, but there isn't anyway to communicate back to me. The only contact from the comm to me will be using this white button on the side, which is your team's way of bowing out of the contest. I will come over the comm, ask you if you are conceding, and you will press the white button again to confirm. This prevents any butt-surrendering," he smiled at his own joke.

"At that point, I will come and retrieve you from your location. Ah, I should add, the comms are equipped with GPS, so on my monitor, I will be able to track your every movement. This way, if you do get lost or tired or sick, if you send out a signal of admitting defeat, I can find you easily. So, it is very important to keep the comms with you at all times. Don't set up camp and then leave it there. Once someone finds the prize, the game will be over. I will contact you via the walkie to let you know the game is over, and then I will come and get you."

Michael's step-mom spoke again. "T.J., don't _you_ want to be part of the game too? It will be very boring to just sit and watch a computer monitor all night, won't it?"

"Not at all, Mrs. Cooper," the red-haired man replied. "I am in the running to become an alternate master of ceremonies for the Quest league. If I become an alternate, that puts me in the running to become the Grand Moderator over the whole league, should the current one step down. So, I need to practice too. During the actual Quest, the MC does have a bit more to do, more instructions for the participants, sometimes misdirection or clues for them to figure out. But, for _this_ simulation, it will be good to apply my observation skills."

"Well, if you say so."

The younger Cooper man stood again. "I need everyone to go get their phones and place them on the table, so we know there is no funny business going on." He grinned. "T.J. is going to go hide the prize, so we'll have about a half hour to take care of any last minute issues. That will give us approximately three hours of daylight to find the prize; otherwise, we'll go to it tomorrow morning."

"When I get back," T.J. added, "this is how it will work. Once in my Durango, you'll be blindfolded. Then, I will drive around and drop each team off at their starting point. You are to leave your blindfolds on until you get the all clear. Once I get all three teams positioned, and I am able to get back to my spot, I will tell you over your comms that the game will begin. At that point, you may remove your blindfolds and get started. By the way, these blindfolds are of the highest tech, and they are also equipped with a tracking device, so if you attempt to remove them early, I will know."

"Yes, the blindfolds and comms are borrowed from the league, so if you can keep them in a safe place, we'd appreciate it."

With that, T.J. left. Penny grabbed her phone out of her pocket and placed it on the table, where the other phones were sitting.

Penny prepared herself for a very interesting evening.

* * *

When T.J. arrived back at the house, everyone was ready to go. He carried three bags, and handed one to Sheldon. "Dr. Cooper, here is your team's knapsack."

"Thank you."

They all got into the moderator's vehicle in the order that he specified. Then, one by one, they were given blindfolds, and they covered their eyes.

He let out a deep breath. He never banked on being alone with Penelope again. This was going to be extremely diffcult.

...

He and Penelope were the first team to be dropped off. As they exited the SUV, he reached behind him to feel for her, as she was seated right next to him and would be following him out of the vehicle. As he reached behind, he felt that she was there, and he reached down and grasped her hands in his. She didn't pull away, and that made him smile on the inside, although it could have been attributed to her resignation of having to be guided out of the vehicle.

They held hands and he felt T.J.'s hand on his back, and assumed that his other hand was on Penelope's back. He pushed them along. Sheldon could feel grass and crackling soil and uneven ground under his feet. The smell was distinctly woodsy.

After being pushed and turned and spun around a number of times, he heard the younger man's voice. "Okay, you guys are set. Remember, no peeking until you get the signal."

"Got it," he heard Penelope reply.

Reluctantly, he let go of her hand, and he heard T.J.'s footsteps getting more and more distant. He put down the knapsack he had been carrying.

"Dr. Cooper?" a very sweet female voice came out.

"Yes?"

"I'm sorry. I should have never freaked out at you like that. I was just feeling hurt, and I lashed out, and that's not normally like me, and just…I'm sorry."

"Miss McKinnon, I feel like I should share the full truth with you. I didn't lie before, I want you to know that. But, you deserve to know the entire story."

It was odd having this conversation without actually seeing her face and her reactions, but now was as good a time as any.

"I stand by what I said. I think you are great for my son. I want very much for him to settle down with a nice girl. The truth is,_ I_ am not good enough for _you_. I'm just so much older…You deserve someone young and energetic; someone you can have kids with and grow old with."

"Dr. Cooper, you have at least what, 30, 40 years left in ya? By then, I'll be tired of you, anyway," she kidded him.

"I'm serious," his voice _was_ serious. "We can never be together. Even if I were to leave my wife, then what? I ask your father for your hand? We have a wedding? We can never be the kind of couple that you would want to be, the couple _I_ want to be."

"What's wrong with the way we are, er, the way we _were_? Why _can't_ we be together? Because people will talk? Who cares?! Because our families will disapprove? They'll get over it. You don't want to get married? That's fine! It's just some piece of paper anyway. The important thing to me is that we are _together_, not that it is _official_."

"I _would_ marry you, you know that, right?"

She didn't respond, but he could hear her crying. She was not openly sobbing, but she seemed to be choking back tears.

"What about some big fancy wedding?"

"What _about_ it?"

"What about kids?"

"What _about_ them?"

"Your parents want grandchildren, I'm sure of that."

"And, last I checked, you will be fertile for a long while yet. Plus, they'll _have_ a step-grandchild: Michael." She giggled.

At that, he couldn't hold back. He let out a gut-busting laugh. He was shaking from the hilarity of her statement.

A static-y voice called out, "Dr. Cooper, come in. I am detecting some unusual movement. You are not attempting to remove your blindfold are you? Cease your movement, or you will be expelled from the game."

His laughter slowly subsided when he felt her take his hand in hers. He could feel her presence next to him.

They stood together silently for the next 10 minutes. Finally, a beep rang out. "All subjects are in place. This Quest is a go. I repeat, this Quest is a go."

He took his blindfold off, and blinked back the light, not from the sun, but just from being in the dark for so long. Then, he looked around, and as he suspected, they were in a wooded area. As he looked around, he could not see the end of the trees in either direction. As he looked down, he saw they were on a small grass covered clearing, no bigger than a closet.

He looked across from him and Penelope was also taking in her surroundings. At last, they caught each other's eyes. He saw her tear-stained face. But, her eyes were pleading. Then, instantaneously, like two magnet poles drawn to each other, they each grabbed each other and embraced.

He felt her clinging to him. He felt her forehead pressed into his chest. He exhaled. How could he have even thought about giving this up? It would be like giving up breathing.

She pulled away from him, and he went against propriety. He went with his gut instinct, and he quickly pressed a kiss to her lips, which she hastily responded to. They kissed like two people reunited after years apart. His tongue was in her mouth; her teeth were nibbling his lip. Their hands were roaming everywhere, unable to settle on one spot. And, then, he found himself sinking to the forest floor, pulling her with him.

* * *

She woke up to his arms holding tight around her in a firm embrace. She took a deep breath and smiled. This was home to her.

She placed a tender kiss to his lips, and that seemed to cause him to stir. Moments later, his beautiful eyes were looking down at her. "Miss McKinnon, that was…I have no words."

"Yes, it was."

"I wonder…do you think by now that we know each other well enough that I may call you Penelope?"

She wrapped her leg around his. "I think you know me well enough, that you can call me Penny."

Dr. Cooper closed his eyes. "Mmmmm…Penny."

"Does this mean I can call you Sheldon, in private at least?"

He opened his eyes. "Yes, you may call my Sheldon. Although, I do have a pet name that I also don't mind."

"Oh? And what's that?"

"Shelly."

"Awww…..Shelly, that's so sweet."

He quirked his mouth. "I _do_ admit to having a certain preference for 'Dr. Cooper'."

"Oh my gosh. '_Certain preference,_'" she imitated him. "Is that your prim and proper way of saying it turns you on?"

His face flushed.

She got to her knees and straddled his midsection. Placing her hands against him she leaned down to whisper in his ear. "Do you want me, _Dr. Cooper_?"

He nodded, eyes wide.

"Show me," she whispered again.

Penny was taken aback when he pushed her off of him and flipped her onto her back. He was hovering over her, with one hand caressing her face and the other trailing down her side. "Do you have a pet name, Miss…I mean, Penny?" his face was full of hunger.

She swallowed her words and shook her head.

"Then, I think I'll call you Kitten," his voice was raspy.

"Kitten?"

He got very close to her ear. "Because when I touch you, I love the way you purr."

* * *

T.J. was analyzing the locations of all three comm units. The comm for Dr. Cooper's team hadn't moved in nearly 90 minutes. He rolled his eyes, thinking they either left it behind on purpose or dropped it and lost it. It was very expensive equipment, and he decided to go retrieve the unit. He grabbed his iPad which was sitting next to the large monitor he was looking at.

He pulled up the Quest app, and was able to triangulate their location, although not in as great as detail as on a PC. But, he would still be able to find the comm, and that's all that mattered.

_Hopefully, the doctor and the blonde don't get lost, or we'll have no way to find them._

...

He parked on a driving path, about ¾ mile away from their location, hoping to get the unit without being seen. He crept along the walkways within the woods, and as he got closer, he heard a woman let out a long yelp. His eyes went wide with fear. They had researched this location, and didn't find any evidence of dangerous animals.

If he were brave, he would have ran _toward_ the scream. Of course, if he were _brave_, he would participate in Quest and not just moderate it. He continued on, walking slowly and quietly, hoping not to distract any predator that could be out there. Watching his iPad, he saw himself getting closer and closer to the dot, indicating the communications unit was close.

He was surprised when he looked through the brush and saw Dr. Cooper and Penelope sitting and talking. He could only see them from the shoulders up, but clearly the comm was safe and sound. He wondered if they were discussing strategy this whole time, or if they had decided they weren't even going to try and were just going to sit around until the game was called.

He found himself annoyed at the pair, and confused at what the scream he heard was, and retreated back to his Durango as quietly as possible. The #1 rule of being a master of ceremonies was to never, ever be seen.

* * *

Sheldon stood and pulled his pants up to fasten them, while Penny did the same. In their haste, they had only removed their bottom garments.

His eyes moved to her stomach as she stretched her arms out, and her shirt rose to reveal a tiny sliver of her belly.

He looked up, then drew her close, pointing upward. "Do you see the colors of the sky, the way it is sort of fading from bright blue to gray?"

"Yeah?"

"That means that way is East, and that way is West." He pointed.

"Okay?"

"Well we at least know our directions right now. That's something. If we are where I think we are, this wooded area goes directly up to the river on the eastern edge. I suggest we walk westward until we at least get out of the woods into a clear area."

"Sounds good to me."

"Tomorrow, we can comb around the woods to see if we can find anything on the North or South sides."

"Okay."

He walked ahead, and she followed. Occasionally, she would grasp his hand for warmth.

After an hour of trekking through the woods, they finally made it to a large clearing. His face turned a fierce pink, when she said, "Nice job, Shelly," then gave him a couple of innocent love taps to the rear.

It was dark, so he knew there would not be much more they could do that evening. He got out the blankets and started to make a palette for them to sleep on, as well as the snacks and water.

The air was brisk, and after getting sustenance, they laid on the blanket as closely as possible, and he wrapped the blanket around them, hoping to keep them warm.

* * *

Penny couldn't sleep. "It's going to be a long night," she said.

"It's been a long day, go to sleep," he suggested.

"I can't. I'm not tired. And, I'm bored. And, it's cold."

"The sun will be back up in approximately seven hours. Sleep will be the easiest way to pass the time."

They could barely see each other, with the only light being from the moon.

"Maybe."

"Or?"

"Well, I can think of an excellent way to cure my boredom, keep us warm, _and_ put me to sleep," she grinned wickedly.

She sat up and pulled the bag to her, and pulled out the two blindfolds. She handed one to him, and waited for him to reply.

When he didn't, she prodded, "Come on, it could be _fun_."

"Well, to take away one sense would heighten our sense of touch."

"And sound," she added.

"Well," he seemed hesitant. "I suppose I could take on the Herculean task of satisfying you into a deep seven-hour sleep."

She smiled broadly and started to undress him.

* * *

T.J. had noticed that the red dot to indicate Dr. Cooper's communicator had finally moved for a while, and now it seemed to settle in one spot again, likely for the night.

But, he noticed something even more bizarre. The two blue dots to symbolize the blindfolds were blinking in a very unorthodox fashion. Rather than sitting still, as if it were in their bag or pockets, or moving in a fluid motion, as they had when they walked from their starting place to their current location, the dots were in the same general place, but the dots seemed to be bobbing around aggressively. If the blindfold were in a pocket, and they were turning over in their sleep, the movement would be much slower and more smooth, These dots were jerking around, and oddly enough, were nearly on top of each other.

He had told the group that the comms were one-way, but he had lied. They _did_ have two-way capability, but it was just disabled for this exercise. Curiosity got the best of him, and after a few mouse clicks, he had enabled the two-way and opened communication.

Initially, all he heard was static. Then, sounds started becoming audible. High-pitched whimpers. Lower-pitched groans. He then a heard "Oh God!" He swallowed, certain that he hadn't heard what he thought he did.

He studied the monitor and frowned, trying to come up with an explanation.


	16. The Cornhusker

_**Kind of a long one. I will probably have a shorter supplement to this one in the next day or so.**_

_**I do not own The Big Bang Theory, and I definitely don't own the barf that was last night.**_

* * *

Penny knew she needed to end it with Michael. She had known it all along. She had known the second she agreed to a date with him that it was a bad idea.

She knew it even more now, since her and Sheldon's reconciliation during the adventure game. What they had was chemical, electric.

If she were to be honest to whomever was listening, she knew that part of the reason that she stayed with him so long was that it gave her a number of opportunities to be around Sheldon that she hadn't been able to have before. With Michael now at home, their weekend trysts were mostly a thing of the past. They had to sneak around and meet out in public, and it made the whole thing feel dirty.

Michael wasn't a bad guy, but she just didn't connect with him on any level really. And, looking back at everything now, she was able to point out a number of incidents that just rubbed her the wrong way.

She remembered the Quest that she and Sheldon had won. He had been brilliant. She had been worthless, although he had assured her that without her…motivational tactics, he may not have even tried. When they had found the "prize," which happened to be a watermelon dressed as a hippo, but with a gift card taped to it, she had jumped up in the air and threw her arms around him. Then, without thinking, he had kissed her full on the mouth. Immediately, she had looked around to make sure no one had seen them. It didn't seem anyone was nearby, so once again, they had been in the clear.

Some time later, T.J. arrived with the two other teams that he had gone to pick up. They were all standing around talking about their evenings, when something fell out of Michael's shoulder bag: the unmistakable look of a foil-covered square. Two of them actually.

She had pretended to not notice, as she didn't think anyone else had either. Then, she heard T.J. say to him, "Nicely played, Mike. You _dog_!" At the time, she had remembered her boyfriend looking confused at the ginger's enthusiasm, so she paid it no mind. Looking back, she wondered what he had planned for those little packages anyway.

After all, they had only kissed a handful of times, and the kisses had not gotten passionate. She remembered when she had explained to him that she wanted to take things slow, and smiled at his acceptance of it. She had known he had been raised right…a gentleman. However, over the next few weeks, she often found him making passing comments on how he had really scored when he landed her.

One day, he had tried to escalate a kiss, and she had pushed him away. His exact response had been, "That's fine. I'm never going to find another girlfriend as pretty as you anyway."

In another instance, he had compared their relationship to a gamble on the stock market. "The way I look at it, Pen, it is like making an investment. You make an investment at ground level, you get the ultimate payoff. I don't mind the wait. I'll let it ride." He wasn't a mean-spirited person, so she shrugged it off.

More recently, she had blushed fiercely when Sheldon shared with her the nature of him and Michael's conversation one morning after she had stayed the night. She was very upset that for one, he had listened in on her; and for two, that he shared such a private thing with his father. How embarrassing that would have been if they had been in a normal father-son's girlfriend relationship!

She told Sheldon that of course she had been thinking of him. And that she had cried afterwards.

One day, she arrived at the Cooper household with Michael, to an empty home. They still had a traditional answering machine, and it was blinking with two new messages. She settled in on the couch, and the younger Cooper pressed the button to play the messages.

She blinked back disbelief as she heard the first one.

"Dr. Cooper, this is Mandy Heffelman from the Omaha Theatric Symphony. We just wanted to let you know that we have secured the date for the _Love Actually_ performance. It will be December 17th of this year. As the donor that funded this project, we wanted to let you know, as we were sure you would want to be present, and wanted to give you as much advanced notice as possible. Again, thank you for your donation and time to make this undertaking possible."

She swallowed. Had she just heard what she_ thought_ she'd heard?_ He_ had been the one that had pushed for _Love Actually_?_ He_ was the one that had made it happen? She wanted to cry tears of joy and love. He had done this. For _her_. He hadn't said it, but if she didn't know any better, she would say he loved her.

She knew in that moment that she and Michael were finished. She had known it for a long time. But, today would be the day she would have the final talk with him. She would explain that she would love to be friends and continue their same friendship, just without the kissing. And she truly believed that he would accept that and that not much would change.

She felt lighter than she had in ages.

Then, the second message played. It was a female voice. A female voice that sounded eerily familiar, but she couldn't quite place it.

"Hello, Mrs. Cooper. This is Dana Gerhart from Guardian Medical Facility, regarding your father, Saul. Please call back at your earliest convenience." The woman gave the phone number, and then hung up without any other information.

Later that evening, while Penny was putting food and water out for Beeker, she received a phone call. Her lover's father-in-law, her boyfriend's sort of grandfather figure, Saul had died.

And, her dream of breaking free of the relationship that was going nowhere, died with him.

* * *

Sheldon finished putting the luggage in the Lexus and slammed the trunk. His wife had already gone ahead to Norfolk to make arrangements and grieve with what family they had left.

He, Michael, and Penny would be driving up together on Friday, the day of the wake. Michael had insisted that Penny come along, despite having never met the man. Michael himself had only met Saul a handful of times. By the time that he and Lana got together, he was nearly off to college, and then moving away for his career, he hadn't gotten too many chances to meet the guy.

"Ready?" he asked the pair.

His son went to the back seat, so Penny walked around and took the front passenger side. He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. This was going to be the true test. His son in the back seat able to see every movement, every glance. They would have to be on their absolute best behavior for two hours, despite being inches apart.

"Pen," Michael said. "You can sit in the back seat with me, if you want. Dad won't mind." He looked in the rear mirror, and saw his son pat the seat next to him.

"No, I won't mind," he echoed unenthusiastically.

"Actually, I'd prefer to sit up here. Sorry." He breathed out a sigh of relief at her refusal. He didn't really enjoy the idea of playing chauffeur while the couple sat in the back seat canoodling with each other.

They arrived at the childhood home of Saul Cartwright a little while later. The home now belonged to his brother, Lana's uncle. The home was a large three story Victorian style home. Sheldon explained to Penny that it was built in 1840.

There was ample space, so Uncle Thomas offered two rooms to stay for the weekend, as he was hosting a number of other family members. Saul had been cremated, so they would have a wake downstairs in the sitting room, which stretched almost the length of the house, where a pair of double doors separated it from a small dining area. The room itself was extremely formal, very much in line with the historical era of the home's build. The furniture and décor also reflected turn-of-the-century design.

Lana was not there when they pulled in, but Michael and Penny were introduced to Thomas, whom Sheldon had only met once before. Then, the three started to get the car unpacked.

His son, ever chivalrous, spoke up. "Don't worry, Pen. I'll get your bags for you."

Penny said her thanks and smiled. Then, he disappeared inside the house with her bag. He assumed that they would be upstairs, so thinking Michael would be a couple of minutes, he took a risk by leaning down and kissing Penny on the lips. He gently took her hand, and leaned down to her, talking quietly.

"I'm so glad you're here."

"Me, too. But, it is going to be so hard to be near you and not be able to be with you."

"Yes, you are here to support Michael, remember?" he whispered, joking.

"Oh yeah," she pouted. "This house is beautiful."

"And quite large. Surely, in this whole house, we will be able to find one private moment to be alone together."

"I hope," he melted as he looked down into her green eyes.

He heard someone clear their throat, and jerked his head up from their very intimate conversation, as well as his hand from hers. Uncle Thomas was standing there looking between the two.

"Am I interrupting something?"

"Just Dr. Cooper here telling me to be a gracious guest in your home and to make sure my boyfriend does the same," Penny smiled.

"Yes. I find that I sometimes need to give her tips on how to whip my son into form," he added.

They each grabbed the other bags, and Thomas showed them upstairs to their respective rooms.

* * *

Penny sat in their guest room, typing on her laptop. Michael had disappeared into the bathroom, and when he returned, he looked pleasant in a pair of slacks and sharp polo shirt.

"Listen, Pen, I'm sorry about having to share a room. You definitely take the bed. I can take the floor, or sleep downstairs on one of the sofas…or whatever those things are they use to sit on."

She giggled. "If you sleep on one of those, you may look like a question mark walking around for a while. We are both adults. I think we can share a bed."

He sighed. "That's a relief. I was just worried, because to jump from not having much physical contact to sharing a bed is kind of a leap."

"I'm fine with it. Are you sure_ you_ are okay with it?" she asked.

"Are you kidding? My chance to run my hands all over you under the pretense of 'being asleep'," he hand quoted, "I'm all for it."

She got the distinct impression he wasn't joking. And, who could blame him? He had been more than patient so far. He was a red-blooded guy. If he wanted to get all handsy, he had probably earned it.

It made her choice to leave him that much harder. Now, it was just a matter of having the delicate conversation at the proper time and setting, which certainly wasn't here and now.

"I'm going to go change," she told him, as he sat on the bed to put shoes on. She took her bag with her.

She put on a black skirt, crisp white blouse with red polka dots, and a black suit jacket, which she left unbuttoned. Her hair was already in a side braid that she had done that morning. She smiled to herself as she took out her faux glasses and settled them across the bridge of her nose. She then reached into her bag and pulled out a pair of red and black high(ish) heels. She didn't put on any makeup. She knew Sheldon liked her with a fresh face.

When she walked back into the room, Michael was surprised by her appearance. "Penny!" he grinned. "You didn't tell me you had a hot teacher costume."

She frowned at him. "This isn't a hot teacher costume. This is just me, trying to look presentable."

"I'm a guy, Penny. I have a dirty, evil mind. Now, if you had come out in some skimpy dress, I may have reacted. But, seeing you in this makes me just want to tear the clothes off you piece by piece," he walked toward her.

"We are guests here. Don't be so inappropriate. Besides, it's almost four. I'm going to head downstairs." She backed away from him.

He grabbed her. He didn't seem like an abusive person, but in this moment, he _did_ seem out of his mind with lust. "Come on, we can be a little late."

She wriggled her arms around, but he only tightened his hands around them. "We're both already dressed. You're being silly."

"God, how much longer am I going to have to wait for you?" he growled.

"Let…me…go." The voice didn't sound like her own, even though she knew it was.

"Michael," an authoritative voice came from the door. Sheldon stepped up and grabbed her arm, pushing his son off of her. "I believe the lady asked you to leave her be."

"Dad, this is none of your business."

"You are my son. We are guests here. This is absolutely my business. Now, you stay here until you can calm yourself down, and then you may join us downstairs in the sitting room." Penny wondered if he was talking about Michael's temper or the state of his libido. "Penelope, come with me. I shall escort you downstairs."

She felt a shiver up and down her spine as he took her arm and placed the other hand on the small of her back to guide her out of the room.

They stopped halfway downstairs. Sheldon turned to look around to see if anyone was around, and she did so as well. Then, he leaned down and whispered into her ear, "You look stunning."

She ignored the Mexican jumping beans in her stomach and made light of the situation. "It's the glasses, right?"

He smiled, and they continued on down the steps.

* * *

Along the long wall of the sitting area, there was a fireplace with a large mantle. The mantle was adorned with photos of the deceased, as well as an urn containing Saul's ashes.

Sheldon had never been to a service quite like this one. Normally, the ones he attended were in a funeral home or in some cases, a church. Almost always, it was open-casket, although a handful of times, he had attended closed-casket observances. Having it in a private home made it seem informal. Plus, not having a body to view or at least a casket with a body inside it made it seem like there was no death at all. He knew it was a very unilateral viewpoint to have. The person wasn't any less dead. The people weren't any less mourning.

He spotted his wife standing with her sister and brother-in-law. He knew that it was his obligation to stand by her side as she greeted people and accepted well-wishes. There were already a couple dozen people there, and a line was starting to form to speak to Saul's daughters.

He squeezed Penny's hand and then walked across the room to stand next to Lana.

...

He thought back to two weekends ago. He and Penny had spent a weekend together in Lincoln. It had been heaven to be able to go out on _real_ dates like a _real_ couple.

Lana was going up to visit with her father, and it was the weekend of Michael's Quest try-outs. It was really the ideal weekend for them to get away from it all. He made up a story about going to Lincoln to meet up with an old colleague of his who was visiting from out East. As for Penny, she had told Michael she was going out of state for the weekend to a cousin's bridal shower. He hadn't asked her what she told her parents, but he was sure it was good.

He had booked them a Corner Suite at The Cornhusker in downtown Lincoln. It certainly wasn't the lap of luxury, but it was the nicest hotel in town, so it was a good choice. The room had been clean, comfortable, and best of all, private.

He and Lana had their own bank accounts, as well as a joint one. Before their trip, he had gone and withdrawn $1000 in cash from his personal account. He knew he could use his card, but he had once read that there was nothing sexier to a woman than a man who pays in cash, so he thought he'd go the all-cash route for the weekend. Plus, he had the intention of splurging at every opportunity.

On their way out of town, he had stopped at a farmer's market and instructed her to stay in the car. When he had returned, he presented her with a large bunch of homegrown flowers, wrapped in brown paper.

"What's this?" she smiled.

"I'm preparing you."

"For what?"

"This weekend, I am going to spoil you senseless."

The gleam in her eye had betrayed the words that came out of her mouth: "You don't have to do that."

As he had watched her gaze at the flowers with so much tenderness, he knew that indeed he did.

...

On the first evening, after getting settled, he had given her a black velvet box. Her eyes lit up when she opened it and saw a lovely string of pearls.

He had intentionally brushed the hair off the back of her neck a little too gently, as he helped her put them on. They then went out for dinner to a restaurant not far from the hotel called Dish,a recommendation of the concierge. It had been more contemporary than he preferred. He would have much rather had found a ultra-romantic French restaurant with a string quartet traveling from table to table, but as such, Lincoln, Nebraska did not have any of those.

Dish had come highly recommended. When they entered the restaurant, the lighting was definitely conducive to a more romantic atmosphere, so that part of it was great. He had ordered three different appetizers to start. He had been pleasantly surprised when Penny had chosen the Asian Sea Grill, rather than the cheeseburger he had been certain she would pick. And, not being able to choose between the crème brûlée and the chocolate pot de crème, they ordered both. He had held her hand across the table; he grinned from ear to ear when he felt her feet nudge his under the table. He had never participated in the ritual of rubbing together the lower extremities in public before, so it was new…but he hadn't hated it.

They had strolled hand-in-hand the long way back to their hotel, enjoying the night air.

Then, they had made love. And lots of it.

...

They had slept till noon the next day, exhausted from the long night before. Sheldon couldn't even count how many times they had made love. It was hard to figure out where one time ended and another began. Night blended into morning, and all he could recall was just one very long night of passion.

He hadn't told Penny, but he did get hopped up on some energy-boosting vitamins before they turned in. While he was more than healthy in the performance department, he was still a 54 year old man with a 24 year old woman. Without the supplements, he would have been spent after the first couple of times. The vitamins had helped him match her stride for stride. And when they collapsed from fatigue, it was very much mutual.

That morning (or afternoon actually) he had gotten out of the shower and returned to the bedroom. There was just something about seeing Penny's bare shoulders peeking out from the bedding she held to cover herself up that made him happy. Obviously, she didn't need to hide anything from him, but it was a nice reminder of their times together, and the times they had ahead of them.

She had been sitting up watching the news, and he settled into the bed next to her, kissing her on the cheek.

She had clicked the TV off, then laid her head back down on the pillow facing him. He did the same.

"So what are the plans for today?" she had asked.

"I don't know."

"You mean, Mr. Plan-Everything-Out is just going to go with the flow? Be still my heart!"

"Actually, I thought I would let_ you_ choose our evening plans. Whatever you wish, name it. I will make it happen."

"Yes, you will," she had sweetly patted his cheek. "Well, we _could_ catch a movie. We could go for a swim in the pool. We could go bowling."

"Whatever you want, my dear." He had rolled over onto his back and closed his eyes.

He had been momentarily thrilled when he felt Penny's body on top of him, but as he opened his eyes, he realized that she had only climbed over him to grab the local directory that had been sitting on the night stand. At first, he had been disappointed that she wasn't trying to start relations with him. But, then upon thinking a moment, he appreciated that the sense of familiarity they had with each other, so much that she could climb over him without it being sexual…that was perhaps just as intimate as any physical relationship they shared, maybe even more so.

"Penelope?"

"Yes?" she had asked while flipping through the booklet.

"You enjoyed our time together last night, right?"

"Yes, dinner was wonderful. Thank you."

"I meant…after that."

"You mean, the sex?"

He had cringed. "_Yes_, the sex. I only ask because you were not very vocal."

"Oh, honey. You were great. I have just gotten so used to having to, um, stifle my pleasure with you that I think it is my default now. A lot of the times we are in a public place or Michael is upstairs, so I have to reign it in. Trust me. I'm surprised I am not in a coma right now after last night."

"Okay," he had exhaled. "But, if there is anything you want me to do differently, anyplace you want me to touch, any feedback at all, I want you to tell me. I just want to make you happy."

"Sheldon," she had smiled at him tenderly. "Haven't I told you that you are the most _amazing_ sex I've ever had?"

Even though he had known she was teasing, he couldn't help but feel smug.

"Oooh! How about we go for Five Guys, and then we could do putt putt?!"

...

Later that afternoon had found them munching on burgers and sharing an order of fries. It felt so right, so pure. A piece of lettuce was hanging out of his mouth, and he was trying to get it with his tongue. The tone of Penny's giggles had been entirely worth the embarrassment.

"Dr. Cooper, I don't say this enough: you are _so_ handsome. And, your eyes are gorgeous. And you are so patient and kind and gentle. I'm so lucky."

He had looked down at himself, wearing a t-shirt and chinos. She was beautiful, as always, but wearing a pair of knee-length jean shorts and a t-shirt. He had looked around the bustling burger joint. This was hardly the time and place for it. He would have much preferred a more romantic atmosphere. But, if not then, when?

It certainly wasn't going to be after sex. Only a complete_ loser_ would do that, he thought to himself.

"Penny," he had started. "These last few months have been life-changing for me. I had no idea that I could feel this way. I should regret that it has taken me until now to feel it, but I don't, because I'm with you. No one else will ever be able to understand us as a couple. But, you understand me, and I understand you. And that's enough. Penny, I lo—"

"NO!" she had interrupted loudly. "No no no no no no no." She had been waving her hands around as she spoke each syllable. Sheldon had felt gutted.

He supposed she had seen the crestfallen look, and she grabbed his hands across the table. "Honey, you don't have to say it. I _know_ how you feel about me. And, you know how I feel about _you_. But, I don't think we should say those words until we are both fully and completely able to commit to them."

He had understood her point, and continued to be blown away by her composure.

...

At the miniature golf course, they had played three rounds with enthusiasm. The group playing behind them had been joking about the odd pair.

"Who goes out on a Saturday night with their grandpa?" He had heard the laughter.

It wasn't until the 15th hole of their third round that the gang had finally gotten silenced. Penny had hit a hole-in-one, and she was so excited, she had thrown her hands up in the air, and then behind his neck, holding him in a tight embrace, while on her tiptoes. Then, Sheldon had felt particularly superior when she pressed her lips to his in a short but very non-incestuous kiss. As she went to pick the ball up out of the cup, he hadn't been able to help himself from turning to look pointedly at the group of teens and giving them the biggest smirk of his life.

Once they got done with the third round, the worker had asked them, "Another round?"

He had seen Penny nodding, and knew she was going to say yes. So, not caring what the group behind them or the attendant thought, he had leaned down, dangerously close to her ear and murmured some very private thoughts to her.

As her face had turned red, she said, "Um, no. We're done tonight."

"Are you sure? It's free, buy three rounds, get one free?"

Sheldon had pulled out his wallet and gave a hundred dollar bill to the attendant. "Keep it. You can give our free round to the group behind us, compliments of Grandpa."

"Okay?"

Then, he spoke loudly, loud enough for the teens to hear him. "Grandpa is going to get himself a_ room_." He had raised an eyebrow at the teenagers, smirked again, and then took Penny's hand and made their way back to the hotel.

...

They had been sitting in the bathtub, filled with bubbles. Her back was up against his chest, and they were just talking. Other than being completely naked, it had been pretty innocent.

She had her legs against his, and he had been moving his wet hands up and down her arms. He had massaged her neck with his nimble hands.

She sighed contentedly. "I don't deserve you."

He leaned down to kiss the nape of her neck. "Hogwash."

"I feel like I've hit the jackpot. I've found the perfect prince without having to go through a bunch of losers and kissing a bunch of nasty frogs."

"Yes, well wisdom _does_ come with age."

"You _are_ very wise, kind sir. But, I think I bring out the worst I you."

"How so?"

"Watching you playing 'Quien es mas macho' with those punks at the mini golf place was hilarious. You schooled_ them_."

...

He had been laying in bed, wearing a pair of sleep pants, and she had on a nightshirt. He had his arm around her and she was cuddled up against him, tracing his bare chest with her finger lightly.

She had met his eyes and he spoke. "I would like very much to kiss you right now."

She had snickered. "You are always so proper."

"Is there something wrong with that?"

"Not at all. It's one of the things I like best about you. But, you know, sometimes it's okay to be_ im_proper."

"And what do you with your good heart and sweet smile know about improper, Miss?"

"Well, I have my eye on this guy. He is_ incredibly_ attractive, and I can only imagine the kind of things he could teach me about being improper," she had teased.

"Well, I hope to never meet this man. I may kill him with my bare hands."

She had smiled and kissed his cheek, then his lips chastely. "Goodnight, sweetie."

...

When he had awakened, Penny was gone. The bed felt very empty. He resolved himself, now more than ever to end things. He decided in his mind that he would wait until Penelope broke it off with Michael, and then give it a few weeks, then have the talk with Lana. Then, who knows? Maybe in a few months, they could be open with their relationship.

His mind had drifted to Penny. He rolled over and buried his face in her pillow, smelling the scent of her shampoo. He had been nothing but gentle with her since their first time, when things had gotten so out of control. She had been so shaken up that he was never able to forget the look on her face and the pit in his stomach. Even during their quick times in the café bathroom, he was always cautious with her. And yet, she had encouraged him to be "improper," whatever that meant. Was she ready for a more vigorous experience?

He had looked at the clock. They had two hours till they needed to check out. He had gotten up and made sure everything was together and packed. He had set all the bags together next to the wall closet, when he heard the key being put in the door.

And, then she was standing there, two cups in her hand. "I got tea!" she said brightly. He didn't care. He had went at her, pushing her against the door and kissing her roughly. He hadn't even noticed when the travel cups slipped from her hands and fell to the floor.

She had pushed herself up onto the wetbar to get started.

Then, she had accidentally knocked over a chair with her foot as she lay beneath him on the dining table.

Eventually, they had made it to the bed. It had been_ far_ from proper. And she had been _very_ vocal.

...

Penny's phone had rung as they were getting in the car for the trip home, and she answered.

"Hey Monica! No, I'm not in Omaha right now. Sorry, maybe next time."

"I'm in Lincoln, with my…boyfriend." While he had felt the word was juvenile for what they had just shared, he couldn't help but feel a swell of pride.

He had looked at her and she was biting her bottom lip. "Well, do you remember that one amazing weekend with Garrett that you told me about?" She had paused. "Yeah,_ that._"

...

He snapped back to the present reality, but could feel the heat in his cheeks, remembering the wonderful weekend and the way she proudly described it to her friend.

He looked across the way at her, speaking to some people she didn't even know. Things had flipped. Before, he had felt her presence acutely, even in a crowded theater rows apart. Her presence was always as if she was right next to him. And now, he craved her so much that even being ten feet apart from her felt like it might as well be miles.


	17. The Old Victorian

_**Here is the short addition I have to sort of wrap up the current scene they find themselves in.**_

_**Just wanted to say thank you to everyone who reviews, favorites, follows, recommends my story to other people. It means so much. It keeps me going, especially when things come along (like the most recent episode) that demotivates me and makes me want to throw in the towel. **_

_**While tons of reviews and views would absolutely thrill me to death, I understand that this story may not be everyone's cup of tea. It can get rather intense, and may hit a nerve. And, sometimes, there is just not much to say about a guy having a massive affair on his wife. **_

_**I probably won't have an update for a few days, as I will be relatively busy. We still have a decent amount of story left to go; we're probably a little more than halfway at this point. So, re-read it if you feel compelled, tell your friends about it, I'll get rejuvenated, and when I get back, we will all be ready for the rest of the way. Get ready for one wild ride!**_

_**I will never, ever, ever own the Big Bang Theory. Like ever. **_

* * *

Penny stood near the doorway that connected the entry hallway to the sitting room. From her position, she could also view the staircase, and watched for Michael.

Also, due to her location, she became a de facto greeter, despite not knowing any of the people. She shook people's hands and thanked them for coming. Eventually, her boyfriend (for the time being) came downstairs and joined her in receiving people. He was a natural born people person. With one hand casually in his pocket, he firmly shook hands with his other.

She had enjoyed their friendship, and up until today her qualms with him had been minor in comparison. But seeing him morph into a jerk, she wondered if they could even be friends after all. But, there she was, standing next to him, as if she were a semi-permanent part of his life. The thought almost revolted her.

She turned her head to watch the receiving line by the fireplace. Sheldon stood tall, with his hands behind his back, nodding politely to each person who passed. For her part, Lana had been remarkably stoic. Of course, she had known it was coming for a while, so she was probably more relieved than anything else.

She didn't know who it was, but the person speaking to Lana was making her cry. For the first time, the woman seemed overcome by the emotion of it all. Her sister held her arm and patted her back, while on the other side, Sheldon did the same, rubbing her back instead. Then, he held her hand and guided her to sit down on one of the sofas, being the epitome of a dutiful husband. The look on his face was so…tender. His eyes were focused on his wife, softening as she settled down.

Penny swallowed down her emotions at the scene. She had never doubted him before. She had never doubted his feelings for her before. But, she felt the tears bubbling in her eyes, and knew that she had to make her escape before things got worse. She turned to Michael. "I think I need to go lay down. I'm not feeling real well."

Before fleeing up the stairs, her eyes met Sheldon's briefly, but she did not allow them to linger before walking briskly from the room.

* * *

Sheldon saw pain written all over Penny's face. And, even from across the room, her green eyes were visibly watery. He quickly asked Lana if she was okay, and when she answered affirmatively, he made his way to Michael.

"Will you take care of your stepmom? I need to get some fresh air." He walked through the hallway and out the front door, leaving his son to comfort his wife.

But, as he went out the door, he went around the house, and then came in through the back door, going up the stairs without anyone noticing him.

* * *

Penny laid on the bed, with her back to the door, crying softly. She berated herself for being so selfish in the face of someone else's grief.

She heard the door to her room open. Then, she heard a very distinctive click of the door being locked.

_Michael._

She thought immediately to his explicit declaration of desire earlier, and hoped he hadn't come up to collect.

"Michael, I said I'm not feeling well. Please, just go back downstairs."

As the man crawled into bed behind her, she took in a whiff of familiar aftershave and knew who it was. Then, she felt strong arms wrapping around her from behind, as he placed his chin against her shoulder.

"Are you okay?"

"Sheldon, I'm fine. Why are you here? I'm sure you're much more needed downstairs."

"I needed a break. I wanted to check on you. You seemed distressed."

"Like I said, I'm not feeling well. I needed to lay down," she replied, but forgot to hide the bitterness in her voice, and he picked up on it.

"You're upset. Please, talk to me."

Begrudgingly, she rolled onto her back to semi face him, but his arms didn't loosen their grip.

"You told me you didn't love her. You told me it was never like that for you two."

"I _never_ said I didn't love her. In fact, I said I_ did_, as a friend. It's never been romantic; that's the truth."

"What I saw down there seemed very intimate. The look on your face seemed like love to me."

"Yes. Love of a friend. Desire to comfort someone I care about. Concern. But, nothing even remotely close to how I feel for you."

She sighed. "This would be so much easier if your wife was just awful, and we could sit up here and rag on her, and you hated being around her, and…"

He silenced her with a lingering kiss.

The kiss started to turn into something more, as Sheldon put a hand on the other side of Penny to hold himself up and moved to place his weight on top of her.

"No, we can't," she panted.

"Yes, we can," he said before planting kisses along her neckline.

"They are memorializing a_ dead_ man downstairs," she let out a soft screech as he hit a sensitive point on her skin. "This would be entirely inappropriate."

"It's_ inappropriate_ for me to be laying here with you at all. If we are going to be inappropriate, we might as well make it good," he grinned.

She gave into him just for a moment. Then, she felt him unbuttoning her polka-dotted blouse, and she shot up, scooted to the end of the bed, and re-buttoned the ones he had gotten undone. He followed her, hanging his legs off the end of the bed as well.

"This is definitely not a good time, honey," she said. "Besides, what if someone comes looking for us? We should probably get back down there. One at a time, that is."

He reached over and gingerly tried to brush the hair that had come out of her braid out of her eyes, before resting his hand on her thigh. "So many people think my best quality is my intelligence or generosity, or my _amazing_ blue eyes," he winked. "But, the best part of me is _you._"

He stood, placed a kiss to the crown of her head, and left the room.

Penny smiled as she watched him go. She was in love with him. And, this weekend, in this beautiful Victorian home, she would have to find a time and place to show him just how much.


	18. Caught

**_I apologize, but I do not own the Big Bang Theory_**

* * *

Sheldon and Penny sat on their footbridge watching the airplanes take off and land. Her arm was looped through his, and her head was settled on his shoulder. The beauty of their relationship was that they could talk for hours. And, sometimes, they could not talk at all and be equally content.

A thought came to her mind for the first time in a couple of weeks, and she lifted her head to look at her companion. "Shel?"

"Hmmm?"

"I happened to overhear a message on your answering machine while Michael was checking them."

"Yes?"

"It was from the OTS, thanking you. Why didn't you tell me that you had something, actually _everything_ to do with_ Love Actually_?"

She saw his lips just barely curl up at the corners. "Penny, a true gentleman performs without thought to what rewards may become of his actions."

"So, in English, you didn't do it to get anything out of it. Then, you set it up because?" she nudged him along.

"I knew it would make you happy."

A breath caught in her throat at how simple he made it sound. She then started to think further upon the situation. "Sheldon, I remember when the rumors were going around that they were trying to make it happen. That was long before we were together...well, like we are now."

"It wasn't about being together, Kitten. I cared about you, long before our official coupling. And, I am pretty sure you felt the same way, maybe before we even met?"

"Maybe," she said quietly. She shivered.

He immediately took off his jacket and placed it around her. She didn't have the heart to tell them that her shudder wasn't from the chill in the air.

"It was weird, wasn't it?"

"What was?"

"How we came together. The way you felt for me and the way I felt for you even before we ever spoke to each other. It was like an electric current that ran between us."

"Well, I believe I understand your metaphor, even though it is not entirely accurate. Physiologically speaking, it is rare for a current to charge between two people, and when it does, it usually requires…"

"Sheldon!"

"Sorry," he answered sheepishly.

"I wonder if it is normal, you know? Obviously,_ I_ wouldn't get it, but I wonder if feeling that intense connection is typical among couples?"

"I certainly have never felt anything like it before. Of course, I have heard of the 'love at first sight' phenomenon, but I've never heard of such a deep mental bond occurring between two strangers. I'm sure it happens, but it's not common as far as I know."

"Do you believe in God?" she asked suddenly.

"Well," he seemed to hesitate. "I do believe in some sort of other-worldly power. Whether it is one God or many gods or some sort of universe guide or a puppeteer pulling strings, I really have no opinion. I do believe there is _something_ out there. Do you?"

She felt tears prickling her eyes. "I do. I _did_. Now, I don't know."

"Why? What changed?"

"I met you."

* * *

Sheldon felt the wind knocked out of him.

"Well, you sure know how to make a guy feel special," he joked. "You like me enough to disavow your faith."

She rolled her eyes, but smiled. "If God exists, why would we be drawn together? And why would He make us years apart in age? Why didn't He create us to be the same age? And why didn't we meet in our youths and why didn't we meet before you were married? If God exists, and if this is His grand plan…well, why _would_ it be His grand plan?"

"I hardly consider myself to be a biblical scholar, Penny, but if I recall, the Bible is full of unconventional love stories. We wouldn't be the first couple to question what God was thinking, and I doubt we'll be the last."

"You are so good at putting things into perspective."

He had no response, so he simply leaned down to place a series of kisses to her exposed neck.

She chuckled while saying, "Babe, we need to talk."

He pulled back from her and sagged his shoulders. Very little good came after the phrase, 'We need to talk.' "Oh?"

"Well, pretty soon, your wife will have all this estate paperwork business behind her, and she will be home more. And then…what?"

He grasped her hand. "She will still have book club once a week and the occasional evening she works late. And, we will still have our lunches at Teague's as long as you are interested. And, on the weekends that I am on call, I'd be more than happy to reserve us a hotel room."

"Yeah I guess." He detected a tone of sadness in her voice.

"Hey," he said reassuringly. "Eventually, you and Michael will no longer be an item, and I will be free as well. And then, we will have the rest of our lives, or however long you will have me, to be together. For the time being, we'll make it work."

She seemed soothed by this answer and nodded.

With that, he went back to kissing just behind her ear and every other bare spot from the neck up. He felt her tension drain away with each kiss. He intended to continue until the blonde beauty was fully and completely relaxed.

...

He woke in the middle of the night to his mobile phone ringing. "Hello?" he asked groggily.

He looked to his side, and saw that Lana was sitting up as well. They were still sharing a bed. If it were up to him, he would move into one of the guest rooms. But, he didn't want to arise any suspicion, either on his wife or son's parts.

"Dr. Cooper, this is Mike's friend T.J."

"Hold on." He turned to his wife. "It's fine, I'll take this in the other room, okay?"

He got out of bed, and walked to the living room. "Yes, T.J., what can I do for you?"

Michael had found a place to live recently. He decided to move in with one of the guys he worked with who owned his own home. He hadn't moved into the home yet, but everything else has been decided and agreed upon. All that was left to make the move official was for them to rent a U-Haul and get everything packed up and moved.

This didn't stop the new housemates from throwing a premature "Welcome to the House/Neighborhood" party to introduce Michael to some new faces.

Sheldon remembered thinking it was probably a good idea to have a social function to get to know new friends and neighbors better. Now, he was second guessing himself.

"Dr. Cooper, uh, I'm real sorry for calling at this hour." He could hear loud music and yelling in the background. "Mike has had one too many. I would normally shove him in the nearest corner and tell him to sleep it off, but he is pretty insistent on driving. He says he wants to take his girlfriend home so they can have some privacy."

Sheldon was seeing red. Not only was he disappointed that his son hadn't outgrown his college antics, but that he was now dragging Penny down with him? _Unacceptable._

"I took away his keys and hid them. But, he found them anyway. Now, he is starting to take other people's keys, and I think at this point, he would take any car he could find."

He determined that surely Penny would not be stupid enough to get into a car with him in his state. He was unequivocally convinced that whatever Michael was _planning_ to happen with her in the privacy of her guesthouse would definitely_ not_ happen.

"I would drive him myself, but I am parked in, and honestly sir, he is just too much for me to handle. And, she is pretty out of it, too. I thought it may be best if you came and got them and took them home."

She was out of it too? That wasn't like Penny, he thought to himself.

"Yes, of course, T.J. I will be right there. Thank you for calling. You did the right thing."

He already had the address of Michael's new home, but the red-head gave it to him anyway. He went and quickly explained to Lana what was going on, and then he took off to make sure both Penny and Michael got home safely.

* * *

At first, Penny was having a pretty terrible time. This was not her scene. Watching and hearing people talk about the stupidest things, as well as getting off-the-wall hammered, just didn't interest her. She had always been relatively mature for her age. Plus, she valued the conversations and time spent with Dr. Cooper a hundredfold over what was transpiring this evening.

She nursed the same bottle of hard lemonade all night. She didn't drink much, and she absolutely did not want to drink too much around _this_ particular crowd. However, the host for the evening set up an incredible dessert buffet, and if there was anything Penny could get high on, it was sugar.

There was a wide variety of desserts available, from cheesecake to a chocolate fountain. She helped herself to a little bit of everything, and pretty soon, she was surfing a major sugar rush. Pretty soon, she had the giggles. She was flitting from person to person, talking a little too loudly, and appearing to anyone around her to be quite inebriated. However, it was the result of an innocent sugar high.

Eventually, the sweetness in her blood stream wore off, but she was so hopped up on endorphins that by then, she was experiencing a different kind of high. And, she had finally attracted an audience, which influenced her to keep up the excitement.

She found herself standing on a table, laughing uncontrollably, with tears running down her cheeks, telling some cockamamie story that seemed to get a laugh from everyone circled around her.

* * *

When Sheldon arrived, he found the front door wide open. A man who seemed buzzed but not completely gone approached him. "Hey man, can I help you?"

Sheldon started to look around for Michael, but the place was so crowded, his eyes got tired pretty quickly. "Yes, I am looking for someone who lives here."

"Well, this is my place. I'm Steve. What do you need?"

"Actually, he doesn't live here yet. My son is Michael. He is supposed to be moving in here next week. I take it you are his co-worker."

Steve slapped a hand on Sheldon's shoulder. "Yeah, man, can't wait to have him here. We'll have a great time, just two boys in a bachelor pad. I remember seeing him around here somewhere." The younger man looked around confused.

"Yes, well, if you see him, can you tell him to wait on the front porch and not go anywhere?"

"Sure thing, bud."

"Did you happen to see where his date is?" His mind dreamt up an awful situation in which his son was pursuing Penny, and she was unable to get away.

"The blonde, right? Yeah, she is really something. Try the kitchen," he pointed.

He walked off in that direction, continuing to scan the crowd for Michael. Even though he was unsuccessful, he found that his son's friend's mop of red hair was good for something, as it stuck out like a sore thumb. He made his way over to T.J.

"Dr. Cooper," T.J. said relieved.

"Thanks for calling," he replied. "Have you seen my son?"

"Well, after I called you, I think he gave up on the driving bit. Last I saw him, he was going from room to room to try to find an available one for…" the young man's cheeks blushed, causing his freckles to become even more prominent.

"Right, right."

"They were all being…used. So, I think he was going to try to kick people out."

"Penny's…I mean Penelope's not with him, is she?" He couldn't help the distressed voice that came out of him, but as soon as it left his mouth, he knew it sounded less like a concerned parent and more like something else.

T.J. narrowed his eyes. "No, sir. She's at, or _on_, the kitchen table. I've never seen her so crazy."

"Yes well," he said, grasping at straws, "I certainly would not want my son taking advantage of a woman in such a state. In some states, that could be considered felonious, and punishable by jail time."

"Of course, sir."

He walked around the corner and stopped, seeing Penny standing on the table, talking rather loudly. His son was standing on the ground, amongst a group. He was holding a bottle of beer, slurring "My woman! This is _my_ woman! Isn't she great?"

He rolled his eyes at the scene.

Very quickly, her eyes met his, and she was snapped out of her little diatribe for a brief moment. He saw her swallow and then continue on. He raised his eyebrow in contemplation. He knew Penny, and he knew she wasn't much of a drinker. She simply didn't like the taste of most alcoholic drinks, she once told him. He knew that if she had anything beyond one drink, she would probably be passed out somewhere. He couldn't believe that she would have the stomach to get intoxicated to this point. He couldn't believe it.

_He couldn't believe it_. And, he smiled.

He walked up to the table. "Michael! Penelope!" The people surrounding the table scattered. He reached out a hand and helped Penny off the table, then faced his son.

"Michael, we're going home."

"Mikey, your daddy showed up," she said in a childlike voice. "What's wrong Dr. Cooper, have we been bad?" She purposely stuck her rear out in his face.

Sheldon ignored her.

"You've had enough, let's go." He grabbed onto his son's arm, knowing that Penny would follow them.

"Let me get my purse," the blonde said as she walked by them. But, not before she whacked him on the backside with her hand. "Nice tush," she winked.

* * *

Halfway home, Penny felt herself coming down from her sugar and endorphin fueled rush. She felt warmth in her cheeks.

"Where we goin'?" Michael asked from the back seat for the fifth time.

Sheldon answered patiently. "I am making sure your girlfriend gets home safely, and then you are going home to sleep it off."

She looked back just in time to see him collapse across the back seat of the vehicle, mouth wide open, probably drooling all over the immaculate leather seats.

She visibly cringed when she heard a loud and disgusting snort from the back. She turned to Sheldon, who was watching her.

"You seem to have recovered quite nicely," he said softly.

"Yes, well…" She couldn't think of anything else to say.

"If I were to guess that you were not in fact drunk back there, would I be mistaken? In fact, I would hazard a guess that you didn't have any more than a drink or two the entire evening?"

"How do you know so much about the behavior of drunk people?" she joked.

"I know_ you_." She felt butterflies in her stomach fluttering around.

"They had a dessert bar," she explained, with a faraway look in her eye, remembering the magnificent spread. "It made me a bit giddy, and then I loosened up, and one thing led to another, and I am standing on top of a table, acting like an idiot." She gave a half-smile.

"So, you were putting on a show for people? It's not like you to care what other people think."

"No, it's not that. I was miserable. And bored. And, the more I was around other people, the less chance of being alone with," she nodded toward the back seat.

"Ah."

"Plus, like I said, all that saccharine in my system had me a little bit hyper."

"Actually, with dessert, the chemical makeup of what you had in your body would be much closer to…"

"Sheldon," she interrupted him with a tender voice.

His eyes looked back into hers as his words died on his lips. In his eyes, she saw a man completely and utterly devoted to her. He admired her. He cared for her. The affection on his face was nearly overwhelming.

"Well, I am just glad it was only sugar," he patted her thigh gently.

"And, I am glad you were there to rescue me," she smiled. "_And_ your son. I would have hated for you to get a call from the hospital that Michael was there with some of his man parts missing."

Sheldon parked in front of her guest house. She wasn't concerned about her parents seeing his car, as this time she had a bona fide excuse. The truth. _Truthfully_, Michael got drunk and his dad came to drive them both home.

He opened his car door first, and the noise woke the smashed young man, who shot up mumbling and grunting indecipherable words.

"It's okay Michael," the older Cooper said. "I am just going to make sure Penelope gets inside okay, and then I'll be back to drive you home. You can stay here, okay?"

Another grunt, and then the young man fell back down onto the car seat with a thud. Penny rolled her eyes at Sheldon and stifled a giggle.

As they got out of the car, Penny fully expected him to lace their fingers together, as was their natural way of walking now. Instead, he grasped her hand with his left hand, then with the right one, he placed it on the small of her back, so to guide her inside. She would never tire of feeling his hand on her back. Never.

* * *

Penny got her keys out of her purse, and while Sheldon knew she was fully within her faculties to be able to unlock it herself, he grasped her wrist, and gently took her keys from her, unlocking the door and then holding it open for her to step inside. He peeked back at the car, and then with a smile, walked into the guest house.

She was standing a few feet away. "Boy, you are being quite the gentleman tonight."

"Yes." Then, he closed the distance between them and kissed her firmly on the mouth, gripping either side of her face with steady hands. She tasted of fruit and vanilla and chocolate. He licked all around her lips, lapping up any residual sweetness that may have escaped. When she let out a soft moan, he began to walk her backwards.

He was disheartened when he felt her soft but strong hands against his chest, stopping him. "What do you think you're doing?" Her voice was more quizzical than upset.

"I thought that was pretty obvious. I was hoping to take things to the bedroom."

"Sheldon!" she admonished. "Your son, _my boyfriend_, is out there in your car, thirty feet from the front porch!"

"Mmmm…yes, he is." He kissed her neck seductively.

"Sheldon…" her voice warned.

"Penelope," he used her full name purposefully. "He is out there, passed out, for all intents and purposes, dead to the world. I assure you, we have time."

He kissed up and down the other side of her neck, hoping to melt some of the young woman's resolve.

"No."

He looked up at her, stunned.

"We can stay in here, in the living room. And, I am giving you 10 minutes. After that, you have to go."

"Penny, I hardly think that is fair. Perhaps we could discuss this and come up with a fair compromise."

Before he could say another word, she spoke. "Dr. Cooper?"

"Yes?"

"You have nine minutes and thirty-five seconds left. You better make it good." Her tone was challenging and infuriating and perfect, all wrapped into one.

He then captured her lips passionately, holding her in a loving embrace. He caressed her blonde hair with the softest of touches. Just as he was preparing to sit her down on the sofa, he heard a noise and stiffened. He saw Penny's eyes go wide.

Neither of them had noticed the door that they hadn't quite closed all the way.

"Dad?"

His back was to the door, but he dared not turn around. Then, all of the sudden, Penny pushed him away.

"Oh God!" her hand flew to her forehead. "What was I_ thinking_, throwing myself at you like that? I thought you were Michael," the girl then mumbled some gibberish before collapsing face down on the couch.

He turned around and faced his son, still standing in the doorway. "I tried to get her into bed, but she was being rather stubborn." It wasn't a lie, he thought to himself.

With that, Michael sprinted past the both of them to the bathroom, and he heard the tell-tale sound of retching coming from the hallway. Sheldon stared down the hallway for a moment, then looked down at Penny, who slowly propped her head up and opened her eyes.

"Think he bought it?"

"I am thinking he won't remember much about tonight, but even if he does, I hope he recalls how you were trying to take advantage of his innocent old man."

She smiled.

"By the way, nice performance. Perhaps you would make quite the actress someday."

* * *

Within a week, Penny had broken up with Michael.


	19. Baby Blues

_I do not own the Big Bang Theory_

* * *

The break-up had gone much easier than planned. Michael never mentioned what he had walked in on to Penny, and according to Sheldon, he woke up the next day extremely hungover and not remembering much of anything.

To Penny's surprise (and relief), Michael hadn't fought her over the end of their relationship. She said all the standard words: that he was a great guy, that she hoped they could remain friends, that she was sure he would find someone perfect for him someday.

He hadn't asked many questions; only one.

"Is there someone else? You know, that you're interested in?"

She had sighed in relief that he didn't seem to be insinuating that she had been unfaithful. However, it was a complicated question to answer

She had framed her words with care: "Someday, yes. All I know for sure is that you and I aren't well-matched for each other long term. Somewhere, there is someone that will be for me, and I want to be free to explore that when it happens."

He had seemed appeased by her response, and they parted on friendly terms.

...

Ever since she became a single woman, well officially in public single that is, Penny felt a huge weight off her shoulders. There was still that pesky business of Sheldon being married to deal with. But, with her and Michael no longer being together, that put them one step closer to where they wanted to be.

It was disappointing to her that it meant that she could no longer freely come and go to the Cooper home, which meant spending less time in his presence. But, like he had said they would, they made it work. This meant "coincidental" meetings at the flea market and dog park. It meant the occasional encounter in the dark corridors of the event center.

One day, as they met for lunch, Sheldon came into the café seeming abnormally giddy. He sat down and ordered, then grasped her hands across the table. "I've been thinking…"

She eyed him warily.

"Let's go away together!" He grinned from ear to ear, and she hated that she was going to spoil his excitement.

"Away!? Dear, it's hard enough as it is to spend time with each other discreetly. You think we'd really be able to pull off a vacation?"

"Yes," his voice was hopeful.

"It was hard enough to do that weekend in Lincoln. I just don't know."

"Will you at least think about it?"

Her lips curled into a reluctant smile. "Okay, fine, what do you have in mind?"

"Wherever you want to go, you name it. Hawaii, Rome, Brazil…it is completely up to you."

"Hmmm, up to me, huh?"

"Completely."

"I'll think about it." The waitress came and set their meals down in front of them and the both thanked her politely.

He leaned in and lowered his voice. "I'll make it worth your while."

She blushed and looked around. "Okay, I'll really, _really_ think about it."

She reached across the table, and tried to scoop up some of his cole slaw with her fork, but he batted her away with his own utensil. "Aah aah aah. You had your chance for slaw, and you chose the macaroni salad."

"Chivalry's dead," she deadpanned.

The truth was they had entered a new stage in their relationship. The honeymoon period had worn off, and now, they were in the process of learning how to be a normal, functional couple. And, as strange as it seemed, in some ways, she liked it even better: it was comforting and safe.

"If by that, you mean that I am not, what's the term, whipped, then you would be correct."

"You don't think you are whipped?"

"I _know_ I'm not," he replied seriously.

Sometimes, you had to pick your battles. "Okay," Penny replied sweetly.

* * *

One evening, Sheldon and his wife were taking in a performance at the symphony. He noticed Penny there by herself, sitting a few rows in front of them.

He became concerned when he saw her lower her head. And then, she moved her hands to her face. He could only see from behind, but it looked strangely like she may have been wiping tears away. This confused him, as surely if there was something distressing happening in Penny's life, she would have opened up to him.

The show did not contain particularly sad or sensitive subject matter this evening. He really was very perplexed by her emotions.

Sure enough, at the end, when she turned to leave, her eyes were brimming with tears. She sniffled a bit, and wiped her eyes again. She very intentionally avoided eye contact with him, and walked quickly toward the back of the theater, faster than he had ever seen her go.

On the drive home, he chose his words carefully, knowing he was treading dangerous waters. "Lana, you recall Michael's former girlfriend, don't you?"

"Of course."

"I couldn't help but notice that she was alone this evening. I was wondering…do you happen to know if anything tragic happened in her life? Are both of her parents well?"

"Well, Michael hasn't called since Tuesday, and I am sure if something happened, he would have found out. I'm sure everything is fine. Why?"

"Well, I also couldn't help but notice that she was crying. I just…wondered if something was wrong."

He could feel Lana looking at him for a long moment. "She's young, dear. Perhaps she is missing the relationship with your son." Inwardly, he knew that wasn't it. "Perhaps it was a family matter. Or, maybe it was nothing at all. Like I said, she's young. It could have been any number of things."

"You're right," he admitted. "I guess never having a daughter myself spared me the knowledge of the intricacies of the young female mind."

"Yes, women in general are tough to understand, but young women especially. You never really _get it_, unless you have a daughter, and even then, you will be clueless half the time anyway."

He considered her words and verbally agreed with her.

It didn't stop him from calling Penny the second Lana jumped in the shower. It went to voicemail twice.

He hoped that the third time was a charm.

* * *

Penny came out of the restroom and saw the Coopers heading into the theater, but they did not see her. She was taken aback by Sheldon's clothing. He looked casual, but so incredibly handsome.

He was wearing a pair of khaki shorts, with a striped polo shirt that hung just perfectly on his frame. Her eyes traveled downward and her breath caught as she noticed he was wearing man sandals. She was typically against man sandals, as from her experience, very few people could pull them off. For example, her father was _not_ one of them. But, for some reason, Dr. Cooper definitely was.

_God, he is attractive._

Then, she saw his wife. She knew he claimed to not have feelings for her, and truly, she believed him. But, just looking at her, she was overcome by a crushing sense of inadequacy in comparison.

His wife's hair, always perfect, was styled into a clean bob. She was wearing a pair of black slacks and the cutest little hot pink jacket. She was very in style for a woman of her age. She was sharp and put together. And rich. And his age. No one with half a brain would leave such an impressive and beautiful woman for someone like her. How could she even compete?

She found it hard to concentrate. All she could think of is how much better than her his wife was. Next to Lana, she felt like a troll. A pathetic, ugly troll.

Then, the waterworks started. She tried to hold back the tears, not wanting the people around her to see her break down, and certainly not wanting to call attention to herself. Her chin trembled as she dabbed her eyes before the droplets could roll down her cheeks. Then, with all the strength she could muster, she gulped down a sob before leaving.

She could feel his eyes on her. But, she could not bring herself to look at him. She felt sadness, and also embarrassment at her display of emotion.

She just knew she had to get out of there, and fast.

...

She sat at home in her pajamas with a tub of ice cream in front of her. She was already a heifer in comparison to his petite wife; what were a few more spoonfuls of Vanilla Fudge Ripple anyway?

She stared at her phone as it vibrated and lit up against the table. She didn't need to look to see who it was, but she did anyway. Of course, it was him. He was probably calling to scold her, to break things off, to tell her he can't be with someone who has breakdowns in a public place like that.

The third time the phone lit up, it was a text message, and so she picked the phone up to read it.

_Please answer the phone. Don't ignore me._

When several minutes later, the phone buzzed against the wooden surface again, she knew that by not answering, she was delaying the inevitable. She might as well get it over with.

"Hello?" she answered with a falsely bright voice.

"Penny?" Sheldon seemed hesitant.

"Hey! Sorry, I missed your calls. How are you doing?" She clenched her free hand. She was willing her voice to not shake. She knew it was close to doing so.

"_I'm_ fine, but I am calling to see how _you_ are. Is everything okay?"

"Everything's great! Why would you even ask?"

"Kitten…" he cajoled.

"Probably just hormones, I was just feeling a little bit emotional today. I'm sure I will be fine tomorrow."

"Hormones? You're not…I mean, _we're_ not…"

"Oh God no!" she laughed genuinely.

"Can you tell me what you were feeling so sensitive about?"

"I was just feeling so ugly and fat. And, I saw Lana and she is always so polished and sophisticated. I thought to myself that a man like you deserves someone like her. And why would someone choose me over her? They would be insane. I just…I don't deserve you, and I forget that sometimes."

"Penny…"

"Wait. I think I got too secure in our relationship, thinking because I am young and energetic that I had the upper hand, I guess. That I was the prize and _you_ were the lucky one. I just felt reminded of how handsome and intelligent and wonderful you are, and that I should have been remembering that all along."

"Penny, I _am_ the lucky one. I found love at a time in my life when I had all but given up on it. And, we deserve _each other_. No one is more or less worthy in this relationship. And, I don't care for you because you are young and energetic. I care about you, the person. And, as far as your beauty, I can't believe I have to even tell you how pleasing you are to the eyes. Yes, Lana is a lovely woman. But, she does not have strong hands, soft curves, or the freckles that I just love to kiss."

She felt her stomach flip at his words.

"Thank you. I needed that."

"I would want you to keep it, you know."

She was momentarily puzzled. "Keep what?"

"If you were…you know, I would want you to keep it. I mean, obviously it would be up to you. But, I wouldn't want you to make any decisions without asking me. I wouldn't want you to think of it as an inconvenience to me or that I would find it too hard to be an older father."

She swallowed, her eyes shimmering. "Oh Shelly," she replied tenderly. "I would be honored to carry your child inside me. Maybe he would have a face full of freckles and sparkling blue eyes."

"Or maybe she would have her mother's golden hair and her daddy's crooked smile."

"I'm not saying I want to _try_ to get pregnant or anything like that. _Lord no_. But, if it _did_ happen, I cannot imagine wanting to give it up...or worse."

"I heard the shower turn off," his voice lowered. "I should go."

"Okay. By the way, I just wanted to let you know that I've made a decision. I would like to go away with you, and I have picked out where I want to go."

"Oh?"

"Yes, I'll tell you all about it at Teague's on Tuesday. We can make plans then. Bye!"


	20. People Soup

_**Hey guys! I hope everyone is safe and sound after a crazy weather week (at least here in the US). I am so happy to bring you this chapter, as it is a long one, but every time I was ready to cut it off, I knew that I had to keep going.**_

_**There is a teensy tiny amount of progress in this chapter in regards to the state of Sheldon's marriage, so we are definitely getting there. I will say that when it rains, it pours. So, it's definitely a comin' one of these days. **_

_**I am hoping to have another chapter to you guys this weekend. It won't be as long as this one, but it will definitely help advance the story toward the main crux of the conflict, so be on the lookout.**_

_**Review, share, favorite, blog about it, but most of all...enjoy!**_

* * *

Penny was content as she looked out the window of the plane for their short flight. She fondly remembered Sheldon's reaction when she had told him where she wanted to go.

"Colo_rad_o? Of all the places in the world, you want to go to Colorado?"

She had grinned at him. "Yes, trust me. It will be great."

She had wanted to surprise him, so he gave her the card to his account and told her to take care of it. She didn't expect him to pay for _everything_, but it would be a lot easier if there was no trace of any transactions on her credit card for her parents to find. They were going off the grid completely. Plus, he always insisted.

They had agreed on a week that would work for both of them, and then the scheming began.

As for her, she had told her parents that she was flying to Vegas to meet up with one of her friends she met on a mission trip, for a 25th birthday party. It always made her feel slightly guilty when she used something honorable to perpetuate her lies, but it had to be someone that her parents didn't know.

They had kindly offered to pay for her airfare, but she refused, claiming that everything had already been taken care of, courtesy of the birthday girl.

She had let them drive her to the airport, and they walked with her through the check-in process until she hit the security checkpoint, where they said their goodbyes.

* * *

Lana had been in the kitchen, cutting bananas into her cereal when Sheldon told her his plans. He had intentionally chosen her busiest week of the year at work, and hoped she didn't notice.

"I think I am going to fly out to Seattle in three weeks. I will be out there for a few days."

"Oh? Is there a particular reason?"

"Well, one of my friends from med school works out there, Dr. Curian, you met him once I think."

"Maybe," she didn't seem to recall.

"He has a really tough case he is working on. One of his young patients has scoliosis, however he is also a hemophiliac, so traditional surgery is not an option. There are some new studies out about the possibilities of doing scoliosis surgery laproscopically. There is still some risk for a hemophiliac, but not nearly as much. Laproscopic has only been done a handful of times ever, and only successfully twice. He has asked me to come and oversee the surgery as well as offer assistance if necessary."

"That sounds very challenging. Would you like me to come? I know I can't do much, and it is a bad time for me with work and all, but I can try, if you want."

He had held up a hand. "No, Lana, it's quite alright. Dr. Curian and I will likely be quite busy with going over x-rays, medical history, consulting with other physicians, in addition to the actual time spent in the operating room."

"Okay, I just thought I would ask."

"That was very considerate of you."

* * *

Penny had picked out the perfect spot. It was a resort in Colorado with a number of private cabins. She had always wanted to try to a Colorado hot springs resorts. This particular place that she found had a private hot spring outside of each cabin. Each spring ran between 98-106 degrees Fahrenheit. There were only eight cabins on the entire property, so they would definitely have privacy.

She inhaled and exhaled deeply in satisfaction as she watched the clouds drift by, or as they drifted by the clouds, one way or the other.

"What's on your mind?" he asked softly into her ear.

She smiled at him. "A whole week, just you and me, for a whole week."

"Yes, indeed. I must admit, the anticipation is metaphorically killing me. Will you tell me where we are going, finally?"

"Nope, it's a surprise," she put her lips together tight, and gestured locking them together.

"Well, this shouldn't be too hard," he teased. "You zipped your lips, but _I_ just happen to have the key." He placed three cautious but calculated kisses to her neck.

Penny looked past his shoulders and saw a man staring at them rudely.

"God, Dad, not here!" she playfully shoved him away. The man jerked back and stared straight ahead within milliseconds.

Sheldon's eyes were wide as he looked around. "Penelope, what on earth are you talking about?!"

She whispered to him, "The man in the row across from us with the spiked hair was giving us a dirty look and being a little too interested in our conversation for my liking, so I decided to mess with him a little bit."

"Pure evil," he said in a reverent tone, as he lifted her hand to kiss her wrist and then the back of her hand. He put her hand back down on the armrest, but left his hand covering hers. "I don't want to spoil your fun, but if we are going to some ski resort, I hardly think that is something I will be interested in doing. But, _you_ are more than welcome," he added as an afterthought.

"Relax, it's not a ski resort."

"The suspense continues," he sighed before resting his eyes.

* * *

Sheldon looked around as the taxi dropped them off in front of a large cabin, amongst an expansive area of what seemed to be nothing but grass, trees, and hills. He could see cabins peppering the landscape in the distance. It didn't seem like anyplace special.

She was smiling from ear to ear and he couldn't break her heart, he just couldn't. "Well? Isn't it amazing?" she gushed.

"It is very…where are we?"

She frowned at him, and they went to the desk to check in and get their key. The attendant ended the encounter with a vibrant, "We do hope you enjoy your stay, Mr. and Mrs. Cooper."

He was so overjoyed that someone thought they were husband and wife that he let the misuse of the proper title slide.

They were told that someone from the resort would shuttle their luggage up to their cabin and that they were free to explore. So, they took a leisurely stroll on up to the cabin, hand in hand.

"It's a hot springs resort, Sheldon. We have our _own_ personal cabin with all the amenities. There are only seven other couples in this entire resort, so we don't have to see another soul if we don't want to. It was created specifically for romantic getaways, so there are activities for adventurous couples, but the ambiance is supposed to be incredibly dreamy inside the cabin itself."

"How did you come by this property?"

"Well, I saw a thing on the Travel Channel, not about this place, but about Dunton Hot Springs, near Telluride. It became one of my dream places to go. It is like the crème de la crème of hot springs results. All-inclusive, five star, just wonderful," she sighed in a wistful way.

"Well, why did you not choose _that_ place, my darling?"

"I looked into it, but it was super expensive…"

"I told you money was no object. It was supposed to be your heart's desire."

"I know. Let me continue. Anyway, I looked for alternate resorts, and I found this one. The great thing about this one is each individual cabin has their own private hot spring that we don't have to share with anyone else. The creek which our cabin overlooks is a public area, but just think, our own hot spring all to ourselves. While Dunton's hot springs and cabins are astonishing, they are all public, so we'd have to share. I like having our own better, don't you?" She looked up at him with doe eyes.

"The private aspect of it does have its perks."

"I thought so too."

"So, tell me about these hot springs."

"Well, they are like hot tubs, but they are all created by nature and not by man. The water is really hot, like 105 degrees, steam pours off of it in the evening or on really cool days. But, the water is infused with minerals. Soaking in a hot spring is supposed to be therapeutic, relaxing, and healing."

A smile graced Sheldon's face. "Ah, I get it now."

"What?"

"Your plan was to get me completely sedated, and then you were going to take advantage of me," he joked.

She smiled. "Nope, not the plan. Just an added bonus."

...

Once to their cabin, they laid down for a nap, to recover from the short plane ride. Also, the air was a bit thinner, due to the resort's altitude, so they both savored the opportunity to take a breather.

Sheldon blinked his eyes open, and he felt Penny's head nuzzled against his shoulder. He would have stretched his arm around her, but his left hand was resting near his chest, held tightly between both of her own. Those were the only parts of her touching him, as the rest of her body was diagonally across the bed. He felt in that moment, that he was her own personal cuddle toy; not that he minded.

He fell back asleep, and when he awoke again, she was sitting up, looking through some paperwork. He pushed up to kiss her on the cheek, before sitting up as well. "I feel adequately rested. How are you?"

"Very much so. In fact, I am probably going to be so awake tonight, I won't even be able to sleep."

"That's fine. I wasn't planning for much sleep tonight anyway." He smirked at how pink her cheeks turned. He pulled out his phone, pressed a button, and then squinted at it, waving his phone around in the air.

"Penny?"

"Yes?"

"There's no wireless internet out here."

"Nope."

He began to look around the room. "There's no television either. Or radio. There's not even a clock!"

"Nope."

"Wha?" He couldn't quite articulate any words.

"Shelly, couples come here for _romance_. The point is that they have removed any and every distraction from achieving romance."

"So, no movies together? No evening news?"

"No evening news."

"And the clock?"

"Yes, that. Well, the point with that is that if we, the couple, are enjoying ourselves, there is no sense of time. Minutes, hours, days…they all run together in a blissful experience."

"That's all well and good, Kitten, but if I call to make dinner reservations, I don't think they are going to take, 'well, the sun is approximately 30 degrees over the crick' as an accurate time description."

She shook her head at him in false exasperation. "We have our phones. And, you wear a watch! Sheesh."

"Speaking of, how are we supposed to know anything about places to go, things to see, the best restaurants to go to, how to get transportation, if we have no access to the internet?"

"I swear, sometimes I think I am the mature one, and you are the child that cannot live without their technology. Breakfast is included in our reservation, and it is held down at the main lodge each morning, or they will bring it up for a small fee, for those people that are unwilling to get out of their rooms." She held up a booklet and flipped through it. "They also have a market they work with that will deliver groceries, for those that want to cook in their rooms. They have a list of their products in here, and you make your selections, and then call in your order, and the store brings it to you. The resort offers free transportation to and from the local tourist districts. The closest town is a ten minute drive. They also have a number here if you want to use a private car service, like a towncar or limo…"

Sheldon opened his mouth to speak, but she knew him so well, so acutely, that she spoke in response to his thoughts, before he could start his sentence.

"_No_, we don't _need_ to get a limo, the van the resort provides will be just fine." She gave him a teasing glare. "And, if that's not enough, they have a concierge service, so I am sure they will be happy to recommend restaurants and shops for us to try." She reached up and patted his back. "I promise, babe, we won't miss the modern conveniences, we won't get bored, and we won't go hungry."

"Well, if you say so," he said reluctantly.

"I do." Penny stood from the bed. "I texted my parents to let them know I made it okay. You should probably call Lana. Now, I am going to go down to the lodge and see if I can get an activity list and schedule. Maybe when I get back, we can take a dip in the hot spring?"

"Whatever you like," he answered genuinely. She smiled back before heading out the door.

He sighed before dialing Lana's speed dial number on his phone, thinking of Penny's radiant smile. What was that word Penny had used a few weeks ago? Whipped? Yeah, he'd plead the fifth on that one.

* * *

While down at the main building, Penny had met a lovely girl about her age named Georgie Miller. Georgie was on her honeymoon with her new husband, Mitchell. She thought it would be great to have another couple there to hang out with, and to get to know, but the whole reason she chose this resort in the first place was so that it would be just the two of them for a whole week.

Georgie walked out with her. The new couple was from Florida. Penny chuckled. She found it amusing that someone from a place of warm weather and no shortage of beaches, would travel north for their honeymoon, but to each their own. They walked and talked, and somewhere along the way the new bride suggested that maybe they have dinner together sometime during the week.

And, in that instant, it was like Penny had an out-of-body experience. She heard the words coming out of her mouth, yet even as she said them, they sounded completely wrong. But, she couldn't stop herself.

"I'd like that. I'll talk to my husband about it."

_Husband?! Did I just call him my husband? What on earth was I thinking? Husband?!_

They came to a spot where the path parted ways, and Georgie took the path to the left. The two women waved goodbye.

* * *

Sheldon had been in the bathroom for nearly a half hour. He had gone in there to change into his swim trunks. While in there, he began to truly think.

He was staring into the mirror. Did he recognize the man looking back at him? Yes, all the physical features were the same. But, then his blue eyes locked on the mirror versions of themselves. What did his eyes tell him?

Strangely, they didn't say much at all. Where he expected to see a pair of eyes, overcome with guilt, he saw none. Where he expected to see a pair of eyes that indicated he was dead inside, all he saw were orbs of life and joy.

A knock came at the door.

"Sheldon, sweetie, are you okay in there? You've been in there ever since I got back."

"Fine, Penelope. I just need a few more minutes."

"I'll just change into my suit out here then. Do you want me to wait for you before I head outside?"

"No, you go on ahead. I'll catch up."

He stared into the mirror for several minutes longer, and then his eyes drifted down to his hand, where he spotted a sliver of metal gracing the ring finger of his left hand.

And then, for the first time, he reached down, and carefully twisted the ring off his finger. He placed it delicately on the shelf under the mirror, and then prepared himself to step out into a brave new world.

* * *

Lana Cooper was cutting up strawberries to place into a fruit salad when her stepson came into the house.

"Hey, is Dad around?" he asked.

"No, actually he is in Seattle for the week, you didn't know?" she said without looking up.

"No, I haven't talked to him for a few days, and he never mentioned it."

"Would you like to stay for dinner, Mike? I have fruit salad," she gestured. "And, we can order in Chinese?"

"That actually sounds great. You don't mind?"

"Not at all."

She continued to chop fruit, while Michael placed the order.

They started to chit chat about work, and then the conversation took a slight detour.

"Have you talked to Penelope lately?"

"Not since last week, but she and I have texted back and forth since then."

"So, you think you'll make the friendship thing work then?"

"Yeah, I think so. Our relationship didn't have _that_ much romance in it anyway, so not much has changed."

"You know, she's not too far away. Would you want to call her, and invite her over for take-out? There will be more than enough food, I'm sure."

"That would be great, but she's not around. She went out of town for a week too," Michael explained, rolling his eyes back in his head to try to remember the details. "Yeah, she had some sort of birthday party or bachelorette party or something. Went out to Vegas for the week."

"Hmmm," Lana replied distractedly.

They continued on with their conversation, discussing other facets of life for a while.

She looked up and saw a car pulling up and handed her stepson some money. "Looks like our food is here. Will you go take care of it?"

"Sure."

"Oh, and can you make sure _before_ they leave that the chicken is shredded, not diced, with white rice, not brown?"

"Yes, I'll check."

"You may also ask them if they have any little packs of soy sauce in their vehicle. Thanks, pumpkin."

As he made his way to the door, she grabbed some spicy mustard out of the fridge and sat it as well as the bowl of fruit salad onto the bar area.

Then, her eyes popped up in recognition and shifted from left to right. She furrowed her brow and frowned. She gauged how much time she had before Michael returned and made a split-second decision.

She stepped into their walk-in pantry, pulled out her cell phone, and dialed quickly. She paced and tapped her foot in the small space. "Come on, come on, come on….answer," she said quietly to herself.

When she heard the voice on the other end answer, she kept her voice low, barely above a whisper, so that Michael would not hear, if he happened to come back into the kitchen.

She spoke hurriedly and with purpose. "We need to talk. I can't wait much longer. I think it's time to go forward. Soon."

* * *

Penny sat, enjoying the steaming hot water. If it weren't for the possibility of becoming a prune, she could happily stay in this tub of water for hours. It was everything she hoped it would be: wonderfully soothing and a bit of heaven on earth.

Her mind wandered to how Dr. Cooper would adapt to it. She would be lying if she said that she hadn't noticed the stiffness with which he walked. Part of it was his natural posture. And, truth be told, she found something extremely sexy about his rigid, deliberate walk. It was interesting to compare the way he normally presented himself with the way he was so loose when giving affection to her.

But, she suspected a little bit more. After all, he had the very heavy weight on his shoulders of the little lives he carefully operated on each week. That couldn't be easy. He also had an additional burden: the situation with her. He would never admit it, she knew, but the practice of lying, sneaking around, dissolving a marriage, couldn't be easy on him. She hoped that being able to soak in the warm water would alleviate some of his cares.

She heard a door open and close and snapped her eyes forward, seeing him approaching. He was shirtless, wearing a pair of swim trunks. She blushed, when she realized he noticed her running her eyes up and down his body. She couldn't explain why; after all she had seen him in much less several times before, and considering she lived amongst numerous farming families, she was no stranger to seeing shirtless men. But, this felt different.

He approached the edge of the quite large hot spring tentatively. "Is it hot?"

"Oh yeah," she replied. "Throw some carrots and potatas in here and we'd be people soup." She smiled warmly. "It feels good though. I think you'll like it."

Sheldon sat down on the edge, and dipped his feet in first, then a little bit at a time, sank down into the spring. He sat across from her. Once he was shoulder deep, he closed his eyes and tilted his head back. She could visibly see the tension draining from his body as he savored the relaxation the sizzling water brought him.

She smiled at the calm that came over him. "Pretty nice, huh?"

He didn't open his eyes, but breathed out a husky, "You have _no_ idea."

"I think I do."

At this he opened his eyes to look at her. "Oh?"

"You feel like you are floating, almost like you are flying. You feel like each layer of yourself is just melting away one by one. You feel like your body is just dissolving and that you will become one with the water and sky and everything around you. You feel like you don't care if you ever breathe another breath, as long as this sensation is the last thing you ever feel."

He narrowed his eyes at her. "How did you know?"

She poured sincerity into her green eyes and smiled at him. "Because that's how I feel every single time you kiss me."

She wished she had a video camera to capture his response. His eyes widened a tiny fraction of a bit. And, she could see him gulp.

They stayed like that for a while, alternating between talking and simply watching each other. Eventually, they had to exit the spring when they reached the point of perspiration dripping down their cheeks and their hair drenched in sweat.

As he reached his hand down to help her out, he barely turned up the corners of his mouth. "People soup, indeed."

...

When Penny came to, she and Sheldon were laying side by side under the covers, in all their unclothed glory. They were both on their backs, staring up at the ceiling.

"So," he exhaled, "we have all week to do _that_?"

"All week," she confirmed with enthusiasm.

He reached his arm behind her shoulder and she cuddled close to him. She was drifting off, just about asleep when she heard…

"Would you marry me?"

She shot up in less than a second, clinging the wet sheets to her body. "What?!" she screeched.

"Calm down, dear. I am not proposing."

She gave him an inquisitive look. "Are ya _sure_, because that is sure what it sounded like?"

He gave her a reassurant glance and patted the bed, so she settled back down next to him.

"What I meant was, going forward, if, _when_ I break things off with Lana, and then we go public with our relationship as a couple, what's the end result? I guess what I am asking is...could you see yourself marrying me somewhere down the line?"

She placed her hand against the light feathering of hair on his bare chest. She didn't think of the age difference or the repercussions or the valid concerns. She just answered based on emotion. "Yes, of course. If that's what you wanted, I would marry you. I _would_ marry you. I want to be with you for the rest of our lives, either way."

"Me too."

She took a deep breath, figuring now was as good a time as any to bring up the subject. "Oh, by the way, I met a girl down at the lodge, she is on her honeymoon."

"That's nice."

"Yeah, it is. Anyway, she suggested that maybe you and me and her and her husband get together for lunch or supper sometime, maybe get to know each other. She seemed very nice."

He didn't even try to hide the accusatory tone in his voice. "Annnd? You told her?"

She scooted away from Sheldon, and hid her face from him, mumbling in response.

"Penny, you know I can't hear you. What did you say?"

"I told her I'd have to ask you. I may have also referred to you as my husband." She covered her eyes with her hand.

"Oh my gosh, Penny," he gently chided.

"I know, I know! I don't know what I was thinking. They called us Mr. and Mrs. Cooper at the desk and she was on her honeymoon and this is a place for couples and," her eyes locked onto his hand. "Hey! Where's your ring?"

She noticed the tips of his ears turn red. "I just…thought it would be a nice idea if our time spent here together was as a man and a woman and not as a married man and an unmarried woman. The lack of ring symbolizes that I'm yours. For this week, at least."

"Aw, that's so sweet! But, if we go for breakfast or out to eat with the Millers, you have to put that puppy back on. After all, you _are_ my husband."

"And you are my wife."

She immediately choked up. Her eyes searched his.

"What?" he replied lightly. "If I am going to go along with this little charade of yours, I have to be convincing, don't I? I might as well get used to calling you my wife, so I can do it in front of other people, right?"

She smiled. "Yes, of course." She closed her eyes and fell into a deep slumber.


	21. Breaking Sheldon

_I apologize. I didn't get the update to you over the weekend, and it was a long weekend, too!_

_That said, I told you it would be a shorter chapter, and what do I do? I bring you the longest chapter so far! The next one really will be shorter. There is really only going to be one purpose for the next chapter, and then I will move on to the next. _

_This is going to be the beginning of a rocky time for our lovely couple, but I hope you don't get discouraged as even the best relationships face ups and downs, and this particular situation would be escalated to a whole new level of drama. Realistically, such a relationship would hit a few road blocks before smooth sailing or fizzling out. _

_With this story, I think your motto as a reader should be expect the best, prepare for the worst. _

_Now...shall we begin?_

* * *

"Penny?"

"Penny"

"Penny?"

She opened her eyes and felt a searing pain all over her body. She blinked up to see her father standing above her.

She looked around, and realized she was on the couch.

"Pen, are you alright, sugar pie? It's nearly noon, and it's not like you to sleep in so late."

It was the morning after she returned from Colorado. It had been an extremely long, intensely physical (and emotional) week. She felt exhausted and sore. While everything had been better than wonderful in the moment, she was starting to think perhaps they had over-exerted themselves.

"Yeah, Daddy, I don't know how much I'll be able to work the next couple of days. I'm not feeling so well."

He reached down and felt her forehead. "Baby doll, you don't feel like you have a fever."

"No, I don't think it's that."

"I know I don't have to ask this, but you aren't hung over, are you? You don't seem to be sick to your stomach or anything like that."

"No, Daddy, not hung over. It was just a very crazy week, and I just wore myself out. I didn't realize how tired I would be until right now. I'm sorry, Daddy. I'll try to be better by tomorrow."

He brushed back her hair from her face. "You don't worry your pretty blonde head about it, baby." Then, he turned and walked out the door."

She groaned as she tried to sit up, but was unsuccessful. Her back and thighs were killing her. She plopped back onto the couch, and recalled the events of the evening before they flew home.

...

They had been sweetly kissing on the bed, all very innocent. She was on her back, and he hovered over her carefully. She had reached up to gently and tenderly brush her fingers through his hair, just above his ear. "I love you," she breathed out.

His eyes had shimmered brightly, as he simply replied, "I know."

She had smiled, as she pulled him down on top of her to hold him in a beautiful embrace. She grasped him tightly, and every so often, she placed little kisses to his neck, where she had burrowed her face.

A small part of her had stung. She couldn't believe that _she_ said it first. And, it had been her idea in the first place to not exchange such words until he was free from his wife. So why had she felt so awful that he did not return her sentiments?

Then, without explanation, Sheldon had sat up in the bed, wrapping is arms around his knees. He was staring out into space, but had seemed to be concentrating at something very important. His eyes had narrowed almost completely.

Penny had pulled herself up as well. "Sheldon, what's wrong?"

There was no response.

"Come on, Shel, talk to me. What's going on?"

He had turned to face her, and very clearly, she saw tears bubbling in his eyes. She had been speechless, not knowing what to do or say to help him.

All she had known to do was to wrap her arms around him and hold him tightly. The longer and tighter she held, the more his emotions came out, until eventually, he was openly sobbing, tears running down his face.

She had gotten up onto her knees and cradled him like a child, and he buried his wet face into her shoulder. And he had cried. And she had let him.

She had rubbed his back soothingly, until eventually the tears started to subside a little. Then, he pulled away from her, and had given her the most grateful look she had ever received. He didn't speak anymore about why he had cried, and she didn't ask. They just held each other, until all that was left to do was pour their emotions into the most instinctual act of expressing love.

Their love that night had been marked by leaky eyes, runny noses, and shaky hands, on both their parts. Her chin had trembled so fiercely that she was beyond thankful when his lips had captured hers firmly, if nothing else to help steady her nerves. It had been the most intense night of her life.

Then morning came. They had gotten up, packed for their trip home, and not spoken much. And then, on the plane ride home, they had said no more than a handful of words to each other. It felt very strange. And, then after they had picked up their luggage, he had leaned down and placed a quick kiss to her lips before they parted ways, he to his car, she to catch a cab home. But, the last thing he had said was haunting her: "I'll call you."

She had never experienced it herself, but she had heard about it. The brush off. Nothing good ever came after "I'll call you." It was the death knell of any relationship.

...

She laid on the couch and looked up at the ceiling, contemplating her next move. She saw her phone resting on the coffee table, grabbed it, and reached out to dial his number.

Voice mail.

* * *

Sheldon was sitting on the couch, reading the newspaper and sipping on apple juice when Lana came down the stairs.

"Hey hubs!" she said brightly.

"Good morning."

She picked up a section of the newspaper off the table and settled into the rocking chair. "So, I didn't see you much when you got home yesterday. How was Seattle?"

He paused. "It was a very emotional and intense experience. Coming home was rather difficult." Well, that was mostly the truth, anyway.

"And? Did you and Dr. Curian achieve what you set out to accomplish?"

He didn't look up from his paper. "For the most part, yes, it was a productive week. Some of the details were not completely resolved at the end of the week, though."

"Well, you did what you could, and I am sure he appreciated your help. Will he keep you informed of the patient's condition?"

"I'm sure."

"And what was his name?"

Sheldon was momentarily stunned. He stuttered out, "His name?"

"Yes. The boy's name?"

He couldn't believe he had missed such a key detail. Such a small, yet obvious point that he neglected to address. "Um...his name was…" he paused, he knew for much too long. "Peter, his name was Peter. I can't tell you his last name, doctor-patient confidentiality and all that," he rambled on.

They both sat back and read their respective articles, before she spoke again. "Sheldon, I think I need a break."

He felt like he had been hit in the stomach. He was filled with concern at what kind of "break" she meant, and what had precipitated it all of the sudden. And, also, there was a feeling lingering inside him of hope.

"A break?"

"Yes, everything has just been so overwhelming. First, it was taking care of Dad during a very hard time, and then it was his death, and then it was all the paperwork and legality involved. Then, we had our busiest time of the year at work that I am just now getting over. I just need a break."

"That is understandable."

"I was thinking a vacation might be just what I need. Can you get away?"

He sighed. "Lana, I just got back from a week away from the hospital, so I don't think I will be able to get another full week off for a few months." A thought popped into his head, one that was beneficial to everyone. "But, we have that time share in Hilton Head. It isn't a very busy time of year down there, so you may be able to get a room right away."

"I suppose I could call."

"Yes, and you could take a girlfriend with you or just go by yourself. Order room service. Go to the spa. Relax and recharge. I think that is exactly what you need," there was genuine excitement in his voice.

"I believe I will go by myself. You sure you wouldn't mind me using all our points?"

"Not at all. I _insist_ of it."

"Well, I think I will go find our Hilton Head paperwork and give them a call."

She disappeared into his home office and shut the doors behind her. Nearly a half an hour later, she emerged with a wide smile on her face.

"Well, they didn't have anything this coming week, but starting next Saturday, they have a full week open."

"Wow, that is soon. Looks like you are in luck. Did you take it, or did you need to ask off from work first?"

"No, I don't intend to ask off. I will just tell them I need the time off and that I am going. I don't think they'll have an issue with it. But, if they do, I'll just quit."

"Quit?!"

"Honey, I'm loaded. I don't really need a job anyway."

"I guess you have a point."

She started to get a dreamy look upon her face. "I think I will leave Friday, so there is less driving to do Saturday. Maybe I'll stop halfway and stay the night somewhere." He was going to suggest flying, but if it bought him an extra evening, he was perfectly content with her driving. "I'll get down there Saturday, and we have enough points for me to stay until the following Sunday morning. If I drive straight through, I should have just enough time to get home, get a couple hours of sleep, and then be off to work that Monday."

"Sounds like you have a plan."

"Oh yes, I do."

* * *

Penny had been busy when he called, but just seeing a missed phone call from him made her feel a little better. She was wrestling with her concerns that her emotions seemed to be at his mercy, and she didn't really like that feeling. She had always been independent and confident. She was not used to feeling so vulnerable. She despised being so weak.

And yet, she loved him. She knew she did.

She responded with a text message:

_Kind of busy right now. I'll call you later._

Later came just before bed, and she was unaware if it would be a good time to call, so she texted him instead.

_-Sorry, I was tied up all day. I thought it may not be a good time to call?_

_-No worries. Texting will be fine. Listen, I apologize for waiting until today to call you. My sleep patterns are catching up with themselves._

_-No problem. Are you feeling better now?_

_-Much better. I had a really great time last week. Thank you._

_-I had a nice time too._

_-I have some very good news that pertains to the both of us. I can't wait to share it with you. Lunch tomorrow?_

_-Well, I am actually going to be pretty busy for a while, so probably no lunch tomorrow. Sorry._

It was the truth. She had been busting her rear trying to help around the farm. Things had fallen slightly behind while she was away in Colorado, so she was now working twice as hard to get everything back on schedule. She didn't want to let her father down.

_That's too bad. Thursday?_

She really didn't know if she would be available Thursday either, but she knew she couldn't put off seeing him forever. It probably meant waking up two or three hours earlier the next couple of days, but she would do her best.

_-I think I can make Thursday work._

_-Wonderful! Would you like me to order for you, that way it saves you time?_

_-Yes, that would be great. Thank you. I'm sorry, but I'm starting to nod off. I'll see you Thursday around 12:30?_

_-I very much look forward to it._

In seconds, her head it the pillow, and her world faded to black.

* * *

Sheldon arrived to Teague's at approximately 12:15. He ordered two iced teas. He then proceeded to order their meals, so that hopefully it would be ready by the time Penny got there.

He knew that Penny usually rotated among the same seven or eight items. She had a particular fondness for their salads, but he feared ordering a salad, and having her be offended that he thought she _needed_ a salad. Women could be very sensitive sometimes.

But, the Penny that he knew wasn't like that. She would be gracious.

When she arrived at 12:35, the plate was already sitting there waiting for her.

"California Avocado Salad?" her voice indicated displeasure.

"Yes, I seem to remember you quite enjoying this particular salad on numerous occasions. I even asked for extra vinaigrette, because I know how much you enjoy it, and you always comment on how you wished you asked for extra."

"Yeah, well…it's fine," she started to pick at her salad, but the way she said 'it's fine' was said with a tone that clearly indicated it wasn't.

"We could trade, if you would like my grilled chicken pita?" He kept his voice even, to hide the building irritation inside of him.

"This is _fine_, Sheldon," she said impatiently. "Let's just eat."

He threw down the fork he was using to eat his potato salad, creating a clang against the plate. "Let's not, Penelope. It seems maybe we need to talk."

Penny looked around the restaurant, and put down her own fork, albeit more gently. "Fine."

"What has gotten into you?"

"You said, 'I'll call you.'"

"And I did." He was very confused.

"No, I mean, you said _'I'll call you'_ the way stupid guys do when they are trying to brush a girl off, and they don't really mean it." She avoided his eye contact.

"I _did_ mean it, and I _did_ call you. Penelope, I've never seen you acting so petty and childish." He steeled himself for a fight, and was quite surprised when the blonde simply hung her head in apparent shame.

He reached across the table and grasped her hands gently. "Penny, please talk to me," he said quietly.

She brought her head up and looked him in the eyes. "The night before we left was incredible. One of the best moments of my life. And then, the next day and on the flight home, you were very distant. You didn't talk to me hardly at all. And then, 'I'll call you.' I just thought that maybe what I interpreted as a beautiful moment wasn't the same for you."

"Oh Penny. I cannot even put into words what that evening meant to me. Like you, it was one of the greatest experiences I've had in all my years. It's just…I _cried_ in front of you. Not just cried. I broke down emotionally, and you had to comfort me. A strong woman like you, consoling a weakling like me. I was ashamed, embarrassed."

"Ashamed?" she squeezed his hands.

"Our last evening in Colorado should have been magnanimous. It should have been perfect. I should have wined and dined you, and then taken you to bed, and been smooth and debonair. And you would have thought to yourself. 'Look at this charming man, who has all the right moves, and he is all mine.' Instead, what you got was a mushy puddle of tears. You deserved more."

"Sheldon, what made that night so incredible _was_ the emotions. I felt so honored and privileged to see you like that, so vulnerable. I felt like I was making love to all of you, body, soul, heart, all of it. Thank you, for baring yourself to me."

"You're amazing," Sheldon said with awe.

"You don't _have_ to tell me, honest, but _can_ you tell me why you were crying the way you were?"

"You told me you loved me. And, well, it has been a very long time since I have felt such uncontrollable joy, since Michael was born I suppose. I was overwhelmed. And…well, you know the rest."

Penny's eyes softened as he spoke, and once he was done explaining, she held a deep tenderness in her eyes. "Okay," she smiled before letting go of his hands and digging into her salad with much more gusto.

"Mmmmmm…this is really good," she pointed at the dish. "The extra vinaigrette really makes a difference."

Sheldon just watched her. "So, we're good?"

He hid a grin as he felt her leg rubbing up against his. "We're good," she confirmed.

He cleared his throat to indicate to her she should probably stop, and she did. "So, onto my exciting news that I think will make us both very happy."

She chewed and listened, so he continued.

"Tomorrow, my wife will be leaving for a vacation, and she will be gone for a full week, actually a little longer."

"Wow, where is she going?"

"Hilton Head."

"That's nice. Is she going with friends or family or…"

"No, she is going alone. She needed some time and relaxation to recharge her batteries so to speak. She's had a lot on her plate the last couple of months."

Penny nodded. "Yes, I am sure some time off will be good for her."

"I agree wholeheartedly. In fact, when she expressed interest in taking a break, I _insisted_ upon it." He bit his bottom lip to suppress a grin.

"Alright, Shelly, what do you have up your sleeve?"

"Don't you get it? For an entire week, she will be gone. Which means you can come over all week; you can come and go as you please. We can have breakfast, lunch, dinner, whatever we like. We can watch movies or the news. We can utilize the hot tub. As _exciting_ as the sneaking around can be, it will be nice to have the house and you all to myself."

"Aha, well when you put it that way, I can definitely see your point," she had a coy smile on her face. "So what do you have in mind?"

"I was thinking maybe you could come over tomorrow night, and we could cook dinner together and watch some movies. Definitely bring your swimsuit. You could bring a change of clothes…or two or three. It would be nice for you to stay all weekend."

"I'll bring some extra clothes, and I'll spend the night tomorrow night. What about the symphony? We can't very well just show up together."

"Oh, didn't you hear? This week's performance was re-scheduled for next Tuesday evening. I am not sure what the mix-up was."

"Well, I can't guarantee I will stay the _whole_ weekend, but we'll see how things go, okay?"

"I can be pretty convincing."

Penny chuckled at the statement. "Yes, you can be. I'll tell my parents that there is a party at Michael's and that I am the designated driver so I will be there all night. After that, we'll have to come up with another reason that I don't return home."

He nodded, then changed the subject. "Do you play tennis?"

"A little," she replied. "Do you?"

"A little. Usually my buddy and I go out and tap it across the net for exercise. At my age, it's not a competitive activity."

"Yeah, same here. When my cousins come into town, we usually go out and play some doubles, but not hard…just for fun."

"Maybe you can bring your racquet, and we'll head down to the court by my house?"

"Yeah, if the weather holds up, that's fine by me."

Sheldon was glad to have the drama behind him and was looking forward to a blissful weekend with his darling by his side.

* * *

Penny had found out later that day that her parents had already invited some neighbors over for supper for Friday night. Her mom was itching to cook and entertain. She agreed to have a meal with them before her "party," and intended to only eat very light, before excusing herself, because she knew that she would have a full meal later with Sheldon.

That evening, she sat at the table with her parents and two sets of neighbors, the Warricks and the Beidlemayers. A feast fit for royalty sat upon the table top. She took a spoonful of macaroni and cheese and a biscuit and nibbled at them, as everyone passed the bowls and plates of food around.

She was politely conversing with Mrs. Warrick about the woman's strawberry patch, when her father stood and tapped his fork lightly against his glass. He tapped a few times, until he got everyone's attention. He stood up at his spot at the end of the table.

"I'm so glad that we could have our fine friends and neighbors over for a communal meal. Thanks, Jo, for all your hard work. She's been in the kitchen almost non-stop for the last two days; it looks great honey." Penny looked down the table to see her mother blushing and deflecting compliments with a humble wave of her hand.

Her dad continued. "Friends and family are the most important things in life. I just want to say a little bit about my lovely daughter Penelope. This girl has been a Godsend for me personally. She has helped me to not only maintain the farm, but also make it more prosperous. She is a hard worker, and she has especially busted her tail this week. A father could not be more proud of a daughter, knowing she has such a superb work ethic. But, more important than that, she is an honest-to-goodness good person, a decent human being."

Penny swallowed as her father talked, feeling herself shrinking into the chair.

"I'd like to think I had a little bit to do with that, but all credit in the world goes to my beautiful wife JoAnna. She raised my little girl to be polite, respectful, and strong-willed. Anyway, I know that one of these days, she is going to find a man who will take her away from me, and that will be a tough thing to go through. But, what makes it just a little bit easier is knowing that when it comes to Penny, I can always trust her to do the right thing for anyone, friend or stranger alike. Thank you, Penny, for being the kind of woman we've raised you to be."

Penny could feel her cheeks reddening as the speech went on and on. She smiled half-heartedly as everyone's attention was on her. She tried to ignore the tears in her mother's eyes and the crack in her father's voice. Once he finished, she had no words. She simply looked around the table and smiled demurely. To anyone else, they may have interpreted her as being shy and modest. Really, she was just trying to hide her shame.

Later, when she slipped back to her guesthouse to grab the bag she had already packed, the unmistakable uneasiness of guilt washed over her.

...

Her guilt was short-lived, as it was shoved to the back of her mind, when Sheldon opened the door and his eyes lit up.

He courteously took her duffel from her and ushered her inside. He set her bag next to the entrance to the hallway to the master bedroom, and tugged her into the kitchen.

She thought he looked absolutely adorable in the apron he had wrapped around himself, looking quite domestic.

"So, I have some tilapia roasting on the grill, and dessert is made mostly. I'll need help with assembly. Right now, I need to get some vegetables chopped up, for the roasted pepper salsa for the fish."

"Sounds delicious," she replied warmly.

"There is a green pepper, red pepper, jalapeño, and Serrano chile on the counter. Do you think you can chop the vegetables for me?"

"Sure!" she said brightly. He handed her a cutting board and knife, and she settled in against the island to mince the peppers.

She heard him working, and then a frustrated, "No no no."

She considered turning around to see what he was going on about, but continued with her work instead. Then, he stood right next to her. He motioned with his fingers. "They need to be this big. And, they all need to be the same uniform size. That's very important."

"Okay. Sorry."

He continued to watch her. "Penny, stop. You are ruining perfectly good produce with your terrible technique." She felt indignant, but it was short lived, as she felt him press up against her from behind. "Let me show you."

She smiled, knowing he couldn't see. He placed one hand on one side of the cutting board, and the other hand over hers on the knife. She felt his chin resting on her shoulder. He gently guided her hand as together, they chopped the rest of the red pepper. "See. Isn't that better?" his voice was low in her ear.

She decided to joke with him a little bit. "Why, Dr. Cooper, is that a utensil in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me?" She felt him jerk back away from her, and he began to stutter a denial.

She turned to face him. "Relax. I was just teasing you."

He started to lean down slowly, but Penny squeezed past him quickly. "Shel, why don't you chop the rest of the veggies, to _your_ specifications, and maybe _I_ can find something to make?"

"That sounds amenable."

She rummaged through the fridge. She saw a plastic container full of penne pasta, and a light bulb went off in her head. "I can make a kickin' pasta salad. How does that sound?"

"I like pasta salad."

"Great!" She pulled out the pasta, mayonnaise, and a purple onion. She went into the pantry and came out with a jar of pecans. She put a skillet on the stove, and poured some pecans in to toast them. She put the purple onion in front of Sheldon.

"Chop half of that up for me, can you? I don't care how. I'm not picky," she said intentionally.

She searched through the cabinets until she found a plastic bowl, and then she mixed together the pasta and mayo, took the nuts off the stove and threw them into the bowl, tossed the onions in when Sheldon was done with them, and then placed the bowl in the fridge to chill.

When she turned back around, she saw Sheldon delicately piling the peppers onto a piece of aluminum foil and drizzling oil on top before folding up the foil.

"I am going to take this out to the grill to cook, and to check on the fish."

"Okay," she watched him disappear out the glass door.

* * *

The tilapia seemed to be coming along nicely, he noted, as he tossed the pepper packet onto the grill and shut it.

This was what he had been dreaming about since Colorado. Normal, everyday life with Penny. While the passion of their typical activities often reached a fever pitch, he couldn't help wanting the simplicity of the most mundane of tasks. Cooking for Penny seemed so right. Cooking _with_ her was even better.

He went back into the house to see her waiting for him. "Alright, missy, you want to do the dessert or the dishes?"

"Definitely not the dishes," she scrunched up her nose.

"Okay then." He took out two parfait glasses and set them in front of her. He then placed a bunch of bananas in front of her. Finally, he pulled out two bowls from the refrigerator. He held them up to her one by one. "Pudding and whipped cream."

"All I need you to do is layer these into the dishes. Pudding, then bananas, then cream, then repeat until you reach the top of the glass. Got it?"

"Yes sir!" she said mockingly as she saluted.

He went to the sink to wash what he could by hand and placed in the dishwasher what he couldn't. He didn't want the dishes to pile up, as he intended on having an enjoyable evening with the young blonde, and he didn't want a mess to hamper that.

"Um, I need something to…" he heard her say.

"Big spoons are in the third drawer to the left. A knife for the banana will be in the one next to it."

"Got it, thanks."

They worked silently, until she said, "Um, I think there may be something wrong here."

He finished the dish he was drying, dried his hands, and then approached her. "What's wrong?"

"I think there is something wrong with the whipped cream. It's not sweet enough."

Sheldon was stunned. "Are you sure? I tasted it myself, and it was fine. Perhaps the sugar settled, and…"

At that moment, Penny turned around with a coquettish look on her face. He looked down, and saw white cream coating her index finger. "Why don't you taste it again, just to make sure?"

He flushed, but accommodated her request, taking her finger into his mouth, lapping the sweetness off at a leisurely pace.

"Mmmm, actually Miss McKinnon, I believe it is _your_ taste buds that are faulty in this case. It tastes perfectly fine to me." He then dipped his finger into the whipped cream and held it up to her. "Perhaps _you_ should try again?"

"Perhaps." She returned the favor, sucking on his finger gently. Her eyes never moved from his as her mouth moved over and around his digit.

She shook her head. "No, I still think it needs something else." She grinned as she took a dollop of the whipped topping and spread it over the point where her neck and chest met.

Without a word, he dove in and made quick work of licking up the white concoction, which turned into sucking and nibbling all around her neck. He took pleasure in the giggles that emanated from her mouth.

"I think you got it, Sheldon," she laughed. "I think you got it. It's all gone. Shel, there's nothing there. _You got it all_."

It wasn't until a loud noise buzzed that he was able to pull away from her flawless skin. "Tilapia's done," he said, grabbing a plate before heading outside.

...

After dinner, they spent a particularly passionate period of time in the hot tub. Feeling relaxed, they both decided to retire to bed. That said, he was disappointed when Penny emerged from the bathroom and her evening rituals, wearing a pink pajama set, dotted with elephants all over.

She crawled into bed with him. "Isn't this exciting? We get to sleep together without having sex?" She seemed genuinely happy.

Where had he gone wrong in his calculations? "Um, yeah, exciting?" He didn't even try to be convincing.

She looked over at him. "Oh, come on, don't pout. Think about it. We have sex all the time. But, how often do we get to sleep together, _just_ sleep together? Not very often at all. Besides, we have the whole week, except for when we are both working obviously, to do whatever we want."

"I suppose," he replied reluctantly.

"Goodnight," she said. He closed his eyes and puckered his lips, but when nothing came, he opened one eye, only to see her with her back to him.

_Great. Just like a married couple indeed._

* * *

Penny opened her eyes and yawned, wiping the drool from her lips with the back of her hand. As she yawned, she stretched her arms out, and accidentally hit Sheldon right across the face.

He shot up, mumbling. "Whoozerre?"

"Sorry, it's just me. I didn't mean to hit you." She rolled over close to him.

"That's quite alright, Penelope." He kissed her forehead lightly. "Would you like me to draw you a bath?"

"No."

"Okay, would you prefer we get up and prepare breakfast?"

"No."

"Do you want to go watch some television?"

"No."

He answered with the voice of someone whose patience was running thin, but still held a tone of affection. "Well, _my dear_, what _do_ you want to do?"

"Well, we are going to make love a time or two...or ten. Then, you are going to cuddle me all morning."

"Oh sure, _now_ you are ready for sex. Last night, when _I_ was wanting it, it was all, 'Let's just sleep,' but now when _you_ want it, you just expect me to…"

"_Sheldon_," she growled.

"Yes dear," he resigned as he crawled on top of her, unbuttoning her favorite elephant pajamas.

...

They were preparing for their tennis outing when Sheldon got a phone call from work. He told her that he would take it in his office.

She had just gotten done lacing up her sneakers when her phone rang as well. The number on her caller ID was unknown to her, but when she answered, the voice was familiar, even if she couldn't quite place it.

"Hello?"

"Penelope?"

"Yes, this is Penelope. Who's this?"

"T.J., Michael's friend."

"Oh, hello! How are you T.J.?"

She wondered how he got her phone number, but assumed that he had probably gotten it from Michael at some point.

"I've been better. Look, are you alone?"

She looked around. "No. Just one moment." She quietly skirted down the stairs and slipped outside onto the back patio, settling into one of the pool chairs. "Okay, I have some privacy now. Is something wrong?"

"Yes, I think there is. Quest started this weekend. I don't know if you knew or not, but Michael made it into the program."

"Wow, that's great!" she replied sincerely.

"Yes, and I was taken on as a moderator on a trial basis."

"Then, I suppose congrats are in order?"

"Look, when we did the Quest simulation…I heard some things and saw some things that I couldn't quite explain."

Penny felt the color drain from her face as she waited for him to continue.

"I don't know if you remember, but at the end, a couple of condoms fell out of Mike's sack. Based on my observations and the condoms, I came to the conclusion that you and he had found each other and had relations. I even cheered him on about it." She didn't need reminded. She remembered. "I thought it was strange that he didn't respond, other than a confused look. I just figured it was because his folks were right there, and he was kind of embarrassed."

"Okay?"

"Well, I learned that condoms are a sort of currency in the game, I guess you could say. A number of the teams are couples, or even if you aren't in a couple, if you win your Quest, let's just say you return to your lady feeling pretty proud of yourself."

"I get it," she bit back, irritated.

"Well, when I found this out, I asked Michael about it. He said of course he knew that condoms were used for bartering and trading out on the course. So, I just came right out and asked him. I told him I assumed that you and he had got it on, and he had no idea what I was talking about. And, I don't mean to hurt your feelings, but he told me in not so many words that you were a frigid tease, at least when it came to sex."

"Well, while I don't appreciate the description, he is right. We never had sex."

"That's the thing. I _know_ what I heard and what I saw and where I heard and saw it." Her stomach started to feel queasy. "Unfortunately, the tracking data was wiped after the simulation, so I could not review it. But, going on memory, there is only two people I could have heard that night."

"What…what are you saying, T.J.?" her voice was shaking.

"I really don't want to believe you are a slut. And, I really thought Dr. Cooper was a better man than that. But, I have no other explanation for what happened that night. I thought perhaps if you gave me _some_ plausible account for what I witnessed, it would help me sleep a lot easier at night."

"Well, I don't…"

"Wait, there's more. I intended to confront Dr. Cooper first. After all, _he_ is the one that I am presuming was unfaithful to his marriage. He is my friend's father, and I know him better, so I thought I would come to him first. But, imagine my surprise when I drive up to the house and see a car in the driveway: your car."

She couldn't remember ever feeling so sick in her life. She had no retort. She could come up with no lie or justification that would be believable. She couldn't think of anything to say. All that came out of her mouth was, "Look, T.J., it's not what it looks like. I don't know what you think you heard or saw, but perhaps your mind was playing tricks on you. As for my car being here, Dr. Cooper is helping me with…a private matter that I really don't want to talk about. I am begging you, please don't say anything to Michael. Like I said, it's private."

"I'm _not_ going to say anything to Michael," the red-head's tone was icy. "But, only because a lot of this is conjecture on my part. I don't have any proof, and it would be very difficult to explain. And, I don't want to get Mikey all worked up over something I've got no proof about. Plus, you and he are broken up. The only good it would serve now, is for him to know that his father is a no-good cheater. Mike's my friend, and I don't want to hurt his relationship with his father."

Penny breathed a sigh of relief, and then scolded herself for making it so audible. He must have heard it too. "But, make no mistake Penelope. I _know_ what I heard, and I _know_ what I saw. You and the doctor were having sexual relations that night, and I would bet any amount of money on it. You need to take a good long look in the mirror, really look at yourself. I don't know if you've always been a horrible person, or if you've just become one. But, if it's the second one, it's not too late to do the right thing."

She heard the dial tone and forced a sob back down her throat.

The door behind her opened, and when she looked back, it was Sheldon peeking his head out. "You ready to go, Kitten? I grabbed your racquet."

"Thanks," she replied hoarsely. She then followed him into the house, through the home, and into the garage, where she let herself into his car. Lana had taken the Lexus, so they would be using the second car, a Cadillac convertible.

"So, everything okay at work?" she asked.

"Oh yes, just some silly red tape I had to deal with."

"Hmmm."

* * *

Sheldon had seen Penny on the phone before he opened the door to get her. He didn't want her to know he was watching her, and he didn't want to push for information. It was probably nothing, anyway, he reasoned. Although he did find it curious that she chose to take the phone call outside. But, her unusual silence did add to his concern.

They pulled up to the tennis court, and got out. No one else was using the court, which had three different nets. He handed her a can of tennis balls, and she walked to the other side of the court, setting down the can and a bottle of water. They hit the ball back and forth casually. Then, they decided to play a short court, with each person moving in to the service line, and tapped the ball lightly from side to side. After a little while, they decided to take a break and switch sides.

Penny was still being quiet, but she did not seem upset with him or upset at all really. She seemed tired, with almost a dead look in her eyes.

"We should do this more often," Sheldon said from across the net. "This is fun."

"Yeah."

They hit from baseline to baseline, within a couple of feet of the opposing person. There wasn't much running or physical toughness involved, other than the skill it took to accurately get the ball across the net to each other.

Then, from out of nowhere, she reared her arm back and swung with all her might. Luckily, the ball was still hit right at him, so he was able to stick his racquet out to make contact. His eyes went wide, and then he heard her apologize.

Moments later, the same thing happened, only this time, Penny knocked the ball cross-court, clearly out of Sheldon's reach. He watched the small yellow sphere roll to the far end of the fenced-in area. He reached into his pocket to pull out another ball and lobbed it over the net.

This time, she went for a backhand, swinging it like a baseball bat and letting out a loud grunt of…was that anger? The ball went into the net.

_Okay, something is definitely going on here._

She was looking at him like she was very confused. "I…I think I'm done."

"Alright," he agreed. After they got their things packed up, they sat in the car in silence. He didn't know what to say and apparently, neither did she.

"Are you okay?" he asked cautiously.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Sorry about that; just venting my frustrations. I wasn't mad at you."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

He watched her, and she opened her mouth as if to speak, but then stopped. "No, it's nothing important."

He wanted to tell her that if it affected her, it affected him. He wanted to tell her that she could share anything with him. He wanted to tell her that whatever burden she was faced with, he wouldn't let her bear it alone.

But, he also didn't want to pry, so the words were left unsaid.

...

When they got back to his house, he was looking forward to a shower, and always wanting to be efficient with resources, he hoped that she would join him.

After checking on the dogs, he made it to the bedroom, only to find her packing up her things. This troubled him. It wasn't like her to be so tidy.

Trying to stay upbeat, he asked. "So, what is for supper tonight? We can order in, or I could take you to that little pizza joint in Iowa?"

"Um."

"Hey, I have an idea! We could find a restaurant downtown with a dance floor, and then we could do some dinner and dancing."

"Yeah, well, I think between the trip and catching up on farm work, I am just worn out. I think I am going to head home tonight. I just need some time to recover."

He crossed the room to her. He was sure that his eyes seemed distressed. "You can recover _here_."

"I don't think so. Not tonight," she patted his cheek gently, but made no move to offer any additional affection.

He wasn't sure he had ever heard a zipper sound as loud as it did moments later, when she fastened her bag. He followed her out of the bedroom, only to watch her walk out the door. She paused to give him a small wave. And then she was gone.

* * *

She sat on the floor of her living area, with Beeker laying in her lap. She felt terrible, for a myriad of different reasons. She had left Sheldon without so much as an apology or explanation. She should have discussed T.J.'s phone call with him. It affected him as much as it did her.

Her mind ran through the phone call, like on some sort of endless loop. He wasn't really her friend, so she didn't particularly care what he thought. And, he seemed pretty committed to keeping things under wrap. And yet, the coldness in his voice reverberated inside her brain.

The only thing that could replace that thought in her head was the memory of her father's speech. They were proud of her. She was certain they wouldn't be proud of her if they knew of her relationship with Dr. Cooper. They believe that they had raised her right. And they had! They should not feel any responsibility toward the choices she has made, as if some mistake they had made in the past somehow influenced her now.

They trusted her. This one was the hardest to take. She had betrayed their trust. She had always been so open and honest with them. And, disregarding the whole affair side of things, even if she had been seeing a single man, she had been evasive. She had snuck around and lied and hid things. Additional to that, she had done all those things by becoming the kind of person that they would be ashamed of…the kind of person she had heard them condemn in the past.

Everything was swirling around in her mind: the people she would let down, the people she _had_ let down, her childhood as _that_ girl who stole everyone's hearts with her charm and generosity, her future as _that_ girl who stole someone's husband. But, at the end of it all, her mind always settled on one thought: him.

His eyes, his lips, his hands, his idiosyncrasies, his intensity. Their shared interests. The way his voice seemed to melt off his tongue. The way she felt like the only girl in the world who saw a different side of him: a cuddly sweetheart with occasional bed head, as opposed to the stiff man without a stray hair on his head.

She loved him so much that she had no other choice.

She picked up the phone to call him. He answered after the first ring.

"Penny?"

"Hey Sheldon, have you already made plans for the evening?"

"No I'm still free. Why?"

"Can we go to the bridge? Tonight? Like right now?"

"Absolutely!"

"I'll wait for you down at the end of my driveway, so that you can pick me up on the way."

"Sounds great! I'll be a half hour, is that alright?"

"Yes, I'll see you then."

She put on a jacket and walked outside to make her way down to the road. Half an hour. There was something sickening about putting a time limit on it. In a half hour, he would be here. A half hour after that, they would be sitting on a bridge watching airplanes. And a half hour after that?

It could be the beginning of the rest of her life. Or it could mean the end of the world.


	22. The Dark Knight Falls

_Don't kill me, don't kill me, don't kill me, don't kill me. _

_I don't own The Big Bang Theory...I only own this craziness that lives inside my brain._

* * *

Sheldon was starting to get really anxious now. When she had called to ask if he'd come and get her so they could spend some time together, he felt relieved. He had been disturbed by how she had left and was very worried about her. When she had called, he felt his apprehension subside.

But, as he pulled into Narrows County Park, he realized she hadn't said one word apart from hello. He really didn't know what to think anymore, but he felt comforted that she didn't pull away when he took her hand. She let him mold their fingers together as they had so many times before.

They took their usual spots, he on the left and she on the right, facing the twinkling lights of Eppley Airfield. He was at a loss. She didn't seem to want to talk, so what could he even say?

"Penny?"

She looked up at him, but he almost didn't recognize the woman in front of him. Her rosy cheeks had been replaced by paleness. Where her green eyes usually flickered with little golden specks, he saw a void. Her bouncy blonde hair was dull and lifeless. How was this the same woman he saw not six hours ago?

Regardless of how she appeared, he loved her. So, he reached out and caressed her cheeks, hoping to bring some life back into his companion. Then, he kissed her tenderly and sweetly. He wanted her to know, as he knew, that as long as they have _this_, as long as their lips find each other in the soft moonlight, nothing else in the world matters.

She passively kissed him back, letting him do all the work, which was fine by him. And then, from out of nowhere, she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed back with crushing enthusiasm. Then, almost as quickly as it came, she pulled away sharply, pushing him away.

Her eyes were focused on her lap. "I'm sorry. I'm _so so_ sorry," she whispered. He reached over to take her hand, but she jerked it away.

"Penny, please, whatever it is, let me help."

She shook her head, not moving her eyes at all. "I think…I think we need to stop seeing each other."

* * *

She was afraid to look into his eyes. But, she told herself that if she was a big girl enough to have such an illicit affair, she was big girl enough to face the situation like an adult. So, she looked up and almost had to immediately look away because of the blank look on his face.

"What?"

"Sheldon, this is really hard for me. Please, don't make it any harder. This is what's best for the both of us."

He looked like it was taking every ounce of strength just to form any words at all. "Where... Penny where is this coming from?"

"It doesn't matter, does it? The point is what we are doing is wrong. It's just wrong, and that's all there is to it." She wiped the tears from her eyes with the back of her hands. She was able to remain calm enough to not outright sob, but there was still some excess moisture dribbling out.

His voice was softer now, and he too was looking down at his lap. "I'll leave her tomorrow, Penny. I'll do it. You say the word, and I'll never look back."

"No," she barked at him. "No, you are _not_ going to make me _that_ person, a homewrecker! You want me to live the rest of my life knowing I broke up a marriage?" Her voice softened. "Besides, I would always wonder…"

"Wonder what?"

"If you just liked me because I was young and pretty. If you were trading up for a newer, fresher model. If once it wasn't so forbidden for us to be together, if you'd even want me anymore."

She tried not to hear his voice cracking. "It's not like that, and you know it."

"I do," she admitted.

He lifted his chin and seemed to get some of his composure back. "Okay, that's fine. We'll go back to being just friends. We can still watch movies together and eat pizza and play some tennis, as long as you leave your inner Serena at home..." he joked.

"No," she interrupted him firmly. "By not seeing each other, I mean that we shouldn't see each other…like at all."

"But, why?" he was hurt.

She lashed out. "Because, it would be too hard for me, okay?! It is going to be bad enough seeing you every Saturday. To _see_ you and not be able to _be_ with you, it's going to kill me." She gulped.

He placed a hand on her shoulder and she didn't move away. "Penelope, I don't know what's going on, and I sincerely hope things aren't over for us, but I want you to be happy. And, I will do whatever it takes to bring you peace."

They sat quietly for several minutes.

"You're the guy."

* * *

_You're the guy._

Penny's words echoed in Sheldon's head. They weren't entirely surprising, as they only confirmed what he had known for some time now. And, as much pride as he felt to hear the words out loud, he was ten times more angry. Angry at her. Angry that she was giving up on them so easily.

"Am I?" he bit back.

"Of _course_," her reaction was filled with hurt that he would even have to question her.

"Then, what are you going to do? If I'm the guy, what are you going to do for the rest of your life?"

She hesitated, then looked him square in the eyes. "I'll move on," she said reassuringly, "and I'll be fine." A sad smile graced her lips.

"_I_ won't," he answered. He reached out and grasped her hands. "I'm going to be selfish here. I don't want to be too dramatic, but you saved me in a way. My life was steady, but boring and predictable. And then, you came along. You gave me a whole new perspective on life, like I had something to actually look forward to every day. I am asking you, please, _please_ be with me."

In her eyes, he saw love and patience and understanding, and for a moment, he believed he had convinced her. Then, they faltered. "I can't."

He jerked his hands back, leaving Penny on the brink of tears.

"Don't you understand, Sheldon? I don't want to be _the other girl_. And, I don't want to be the tramp that the great Dr. Sheldon Cooper left his saint of a wife for." Her voice got softer. "And, I don't want it for you either. If the truth came out, your reputation would be ruined. And think of what it could do to your relationship with Michael. It would be gone. He would have no faith in love. He would have no faith in fidelity. If he did manage to get married and have kids, he would want you to have no part of it. You wouldn't be able to see your grandkids. For the rest of your life, you'd be proof that no man can be trusted, that you are just another guy that was unfaithful to his wife. And, that's not what you should be known for. You should be known for being a brilliant surgeon who saves the lives of children, a good and gentle man. I care for you too much to let what we have destroy your life."

He let her words soak in. He could tell from her raw emotion that every word she was saying was heartfelt. It made him admire her all the more. And angrier too.

She spoke the words of one of his personal heroes: "The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few. Plus, remember _The Dark Knight_?" His mind flashed back to the theatric performance at the symphony, when Penny sat there entranced, mouthing Bruce Wayne and Jim Gordon's iconic words. "Batman knew that Gotham City needed Harvey Dent, the symbol, regardless of what Harvey Dent was, the person. They needed something to believe in, something to have faith in. Sometimes people deserve to have their faith in humanity rewarded."

"It's not the same thing."

"It is. People, Michael, need to have their faith rewarded. They need to know that good, decent, moral people out there still exist. That there are people out there that they can still believe in without being let down." She pushed a finger into his chest. "_You_ can be that person. You are a highly respected doctor, you're good to people, present situation excluded you have a very keen sense of morality. If someone like _you_ can fall, what would that say for the rest of us?"

"Yeah, and what happened in _The Dark Knight Rises_, Penny?" He blew up at her. "The truth came out anyway! And, no matter how well intentioned it was to protect the citizens' sensibilities, no matter how well intentioned it was to give them something to believe in, the truth came out. And, the fallout from the lie and cover-up led to a worse situation in the end."

After a long silence, Penny spoke again. "Sheldon, I want you to know that I don't regret a second of our relationship, and if things were different…"

He zoned out; he had heard all he needed to hear. He didn't need this torture to go on and on.

"I'm in love with you, you know that right?" he blurted out, shutting her up.

"I do," she nodded. She looked at him, eyes watery. "And that's why you are going to take me home, walk me to the door, give me one last kiss goodbye, _on the cheek_…and then you are never, _ever_ going to speak to me again."

And, so he did.


	23. The Ticket

_I don't own anything. Sorry._

* * *

Sheldon refused to let Penny see him cry. He could be gentlemanly, and say it was because he didn't want to make her feel any worse than she already did, but that would be a lie. In truth, he didn't want her to have the satisfaction of seeing him like that. He wanted her to carry the memory of him showing no emotion around with her. He was extremely hurt, but it was much easier to feel hatred than pain.

In a single night, the plans for his life had been obliterated, never mind the week ahead he had planned to spend with…her. He had to call and cancel reservations. First thing Monday morning, he would have to call the florist and hope that they would be able to cancel his order: they were to leave a single rose on her porch every day that week. He had even paid a large sum extra for them to deliver it early in the morning, so that they would be there when she woke up. He had half a mind to call the theater and tell them to call off _Love Actually_. He wanted no part of it anymore. But, he knew it would not be fair to the theater or the performers to do that to them.

As he lay in his bed, unable to sleep, the events of the last 24 hours played out inside his head. They woke up, Penny wanted to make love, and they did…twice. It was_ her_ idea, not his. It was good, but certainly not the best they ever had. He hadn't gotten any "I better make this good if this is the last time ever" vibe from her. Then, before going to play tennis, he saw her on the phone. He didn't know if she received the phone call or placed it, but after that, her mood was much different.

He hadn't thought too much about it at the time, presuming that maybe she had gotten some bad or stressful news, but that like always, given time, she would come out of her grouchiness. He had been sad that she wouldn't confide in him and disappointed that she cut the weekend short, but he never would have dreamt that _this_ would be the end result.

When they made it to the door, he made one last silent plea to whomever or whatever may be listening, that she would reconsider and stop the madness, and invite him in. He would take her to bed, pour every ounce of gratefulness and relief into every touch, and then, they would be fine.

She had promised him a kiss on the cheek, and he attempted to make the most of it. He approached her painfully slowly. He placed a tender kiss just barely outside of her lips, which was technically her cheek in his mind. He gave her skin the tiniest suck, then pulled away, making sure to leave traces of his moist breath against her face.

This was the moment of truth. It was now or never. He had held her hand gently. "Penny, are you _absolutely_ sure, without a doubt, this is what you want?"

Sheldon could still remember the look in her eyes. She had a faraway look, tinged with a darkness, one that was familiar to him, one that he had seen before but couldn't quite identify. Then, his heart had broken as she nodded. "Yes, I'm sure. Thank you for seeing me home, and…just for everything."

And with that, she had gone inside without a look back.

All too soon, after a long night of tossing and turning, by the time he was able to get to sleep, he found himself awake again. His eyes fluttered open, and he wished they hadn't.

_I wish I would have been hit by a truck last night. One of two things would have come out of it. Penny would have been so heartbroken, she would have forgotten it all and rushed to my side. Or, I would have died and been put out of my misery._

After tending to the dogs and drinking some tea, he decided to give Lana a call. She picked up on the third ring, sounding refreshed.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Lana. It's Sheldon. How's Hilton Head?"

"Great! They renovated the pool, and it is so nice. It's supposed to rain tomorrow, so I am enjoying the sun while I can."

"Well, don't get burnt. Apply and re-apply the sunscreen."

"Yes, dear," she drawled.

"I hope you are not down there, cheating on me with those young buff hunks."

His wife chuckled. "Actually, there's lots of eye candy down here, but no, no cheating on you with young buff hunks."

"It would be okay with me, you know."

A pregnant pause hung in the air. For a minute, Sheldon thought maybe she had hung up on him.

"Sheldon?"

"Yes?"

"Did you just give me permission to have a fling down here?"

"Yes. No. Sort of. Our marriage is not a conventional one, based on being in love and what not, do you agree?"

"Yes, I agree."

"Your feelings have not changed from our original arrangement, correct?"

"No, they haven't. I love you as much as I think I could love any human being. And, at times, I have wondered if I feel an inkling of romantic love for you. But, no, I am not in love with you."

"I guess what I am asking or saying…if you were ever to find someone that you _did_ feel those things for, have you ever wondered what you would do? Would you tell me? Would you stay with me out of obligation?"

"I've honestly never thought about it. I can't even guess how I would react."

"Lana, I want you to know that if you ever want out,_ ever_, you can tell me. We will remain friends like two mature adults. It will be amicable. You should never remain with me solely for convenience."

"I know what this is about!" He could almost hear her smile through the phone.

"You do?"

"Yes, isn't your and Cathy's wedding anniversary in a couple of weeks? You're feeling a little nostalgic, am I right?"

"Well, no, not _exactly_ nostalgia."

"But, you're feeling something, right? I can hear the sentimental in your voice."

"It was just weighing on my mind."

"Look Sheldon," she spoke as if it was the final word. "We both knew what we were getting into when we got married. Neither of us were "relationship" or "love" kind of people. It was different for us…a meeting of the minds, if you will. That's why our bonding works so well. It may not be romantic, and no one else in the world may understand it, but it works for us. It is a mutually satisfying endeavor."

"Right."

"And, I know it's been a while, a _long_ while, but seeing all these handsome men down here is getting me a little randy. Maybe when I get home, I can show you how satisfying an endeavor it can be."

Sheldon was pretty sure he was going to throw up in his mouth. "Yes, well, you enjoy your time off."

"I'll call you sometime."

"Okay then. Goodbye."

His anger with Penny had lessened. At least a little bit. He knew he had been in a state of shock at the time, but he should have fought harder for her.

Perhaps it wasn't too late.

* * *

Penny decided to go for a run. She hated to run. While she thought the concept of running was a worthy cause, she just never enjoyed actually doing it. Plus, she always got enough activity through her farm work that she was able to stay relatively healthy and keep her muscles toned.

But two days after the breakup, it just felt like the right thing to do. She convinced herself that with each step she ran, her tension would melt away. In a way, it worked…eventually. As she ran through the woods near her house, she felt anger building up inside of her. Anger at herself for becoming the kind of person she loathes. Anger at him for putting her in such a position. Anger at the universe for creating the whole situation.

Her anger bubbled up until she was crying as she ran. She hiccuped along, choking back the sobs, trying to maintain normal breathing. When she could no longer contain it, she came to a full stop and heaved. She let out every tear, every howl, every whimper. She convulsed in emotion like she never had before in her life– not when her first dog Milton got hit by a car, not when she found out her Papaw had cancer, not when her cousin Janelle lost her baby– never had she cried so hysterically.

Once she had gained control over herself, a while later, she started to make her way back to their property. The typically positive Penny tried to see the silver lining, but was unsuccessful. For every optimistic thing she could come up with, she thought of five negatives. Really, though, the negatives all boiled down to a few key points: she would miss his kisses and the way he held her in his arms and his penetrating blue eyes and his soft voice in her ear. But, most of all, she would miss the way he made her heart feel, like it was whole. When she was with him, her heart felt about ten sizes bigger than it did normally. She knew it didn't make sense medically – he'd tell her so– but it was true nonetheless.

As she made it to the edge of the woods, she saw a dark car, and for some reason, she dove behind a tree, peeking out. She could tell by the silhouette that it was him. She would know his figure and stance anywhere. Her mom was at work, but her dad? She looked to her left, and through the trees, she saw him digging some dirt back behind the equipment shed, luckily out of the line of sight of the guesthouse.

She saw Sheldon standing there. He knocked on her door and was looking around. He was holding a bunch of flowers. For a moment, her heart soared. She was still quite a ways away, but she could run across the field, and maybe he would see her out of the corner of his eye. Or she could yell his name; if she was loud enough, possibly he could hear her. She came to her senses and did nothing. She watched as he stood around, waiting. Ultimately, he gave up, setting the flowers down in front of her door.

He turned around to go to his car, and she sank further back behind the tree, letting only her eyes peep around its oaken trunk. He got to his car door, and very deliberately, turned around and looked toward the woods, toward the spot she was currently occupying. She gasped. There was no way he could have heard her, three quarters of a mile away. It was doubtful that he even saw her. How did he know to look? It was a reasonable question, with a not so reasonable answer: he_ felt_ her.

...

Throughout the rest of the week, her mood fluctuated, from frustration to missing him a great deal; from furious at him to furious at herself; from guilt to feeling no shame at all. He had called at least twice every day and texted just as much. Half the time she stood there shouting at the phone as if he were standing right in front of her. The other half, she tentatively reached out with a shaking hand, inches away from answering the call she swore she never would.

She spent her evenings crying into whatever sugary confection she could find. During the days, she kept up with her work around the farm like a trooper. She did not want her parents to pick up on any emotional instability on her part. The jig was up when Tuesday evening, her mother walked into her guest house unannounced, only to find her in her rattiest clothes, holding a bucket of cream puffs, eyes red from her most recent bout of tears.

Her cheeks were puffed out, as she was popping the cream puffs two at a time when she saw her mom walk in. Jo's eyes went wide at the sight of her unkempt appearance.

"Penny! What in the world?"

She held out the bucket. "Cream puff?"

Jo held her hands up to decline. "I was coming to see if you were joining us at the theater tonight," she ran her eyes up and down the girl, "but clearly not."

"I forgot about it." She sat up, thinking whether she could get ready in time, but considering the possibility that Sheldon could be there, she slumped back down. "No, I don't think I'll go tonight. You guys have fun." She forced a smile.

"Dear, is something wrong? Boy trouble?"

Her eyes welled with tears, even as she ardently shook her head. "Just feeling a little hormonal right now."

"I've never seen you so…_hormonal,_" her mother narrowed her eyes.

"I'm fine mom. I'll _be_ fine."

"You're not, I mean, if you are it's okay, but you're not…" Penny saw her mom's eyes darting all over the room, avoiding hers. "…pregnant, are you?"

"Oh God! MOM!" she shrieked. "Of course not!"

"I know, I know," Jo waved her hands dismissively. "Just wanted to exhaust all options."

Penny rolled her eyes.

Her mother leaned against the arm of the sofa. "Penny, sweetie, I'm worried about you. You've been a little off for a while, and then your breakup with Michael, but you seemed fine with it, and then I walk in to see you like this. I just don't know what to think or what to do."

"Momma, you don't have to _do_ anything. I am a grown woman, an adult. I'm not saying there is anything going on specifically, but even if there were, I will get it sorted out on my own. I would have to work through it myself."

"Your dad and I are always here for you. You are always going to be our baby girl, no matter how old you get. And, we'll help you in any way we can."

"I know. I appreciate that."

...

She was in her parents' house "borrowing" some milk when they arrived home from the symphony.

They walked in the back door and threw their coats over the kitchen chairs. "Hey guys, how was it?" she gritted out fake enthusiasm.

"Quite nice actually," her mother smiled. "You missed a lovely performance."

"That's not all you missed," her father added.

She simply looked up, waiting for them to continue.

"Well, we got there, and you'll never guess who was right next to us," her mom said.

Oh, she could guess. Actually, she didn't even have to guess. She knew.

"Dr. Sheldon Cooper," came Wyatt's gruff voice.

"Oh?"

"Yes, we thought it might be a little weird or awkward…"

"Considering how you stomped all over his son's heart like Lucy on grapes in a wine vat," her father added with zeal.

She felt a headache coming on.

"Wyatt," her mother gently admonished. "But, it wasn't bad at all. His wife wasn't with him. But, he shook your father's hand and made a little bit of small talk. He was quite gracious."

"Well, that's nice. Goodnight," she turned to leave.

"He even asked how you were doing, it was so sweet of him. I can tell that he really cares about you."

She turned back to them, swallowing deeply.

Her father's deep voice spoke. "Yeah, the guy probably knows that his boy could do no better than our little angel. He's probably holding out for you two to get back together."

"Well, that's _not_ going to happen."

"Okay, dear."

"He…he asked how I was?" Penny was immediately ashamed at how her voice had softened.

"Yes."

"What did you tell him?" she attempted to hide the edge to her voice.

Jo shrugged. "I told him you were fine."

While she was relieved in that moment, she still caught the subtle look between both of her parents before she left. They were hiding something.

* * *

_Earlier that evening_

"Excuse me, are these seats taken?" A voice shook Sheldon out of his daydream.

He looked up to see none other than Wyatt and JoAnna McKinnon. He discreetly looked around to see if Penny was with them.

"No, not at all," he squeezed his legs back to let them pass and take the two seats next to him.

Wyatt sat next to him, and a queasy feeling came over him. The man held out his hand, so Sheldon shook it firmly.

"How goes it, Doctor?"

"I'm doing well, and yourself?"

"Can't complain."

Penny's mother piped up. "Where's your lovely wife this evening?"

"Um, well, she went out of town for the week, a little getaway."

The woman lightly hit her husband on the arm. "See, honey? Wyatt here won't even let me come downtown alone, much less go on vacation by myself."

"Ah." He was starting to feel exhausted by the conversation.

They sat in silence.

"Listen, I'm really sorry about…"

"Dear, not now," Wyatt placed his hands on his wife's shoulders and was shaking his head at her.

"No, it's fine. Go ahead."

"Just that things didn't work out between the kids."

He bit his lower lip. "I believe the split was cordial. How is…Penelope doing?"

"Good, good," Wyatt answered.

"Actually," the woman interjected, "I'm not sure."

Wyatt looked at his wife as if that was news to him. As for himself, he focused on her mother's hazel eyes.

"Michael isn't dating, is he? I mean…has he moved on?"

"Not that I am aware of," he answered truthfully. "Why?"

She looked quickly at her husband, then looked away. "It's just, earlier when I talked to Pen, she was_ very_ upset. I know I shouldn't be telling you this, but she was crying and just…all out of sorts. I've never seen her so distraught."

"Jo, why am I just _now_ hearing about this?"

"Not now, dear. We'll talk when we get home."

He looked like he was getting ready to speak again, but she cut him off. "Anyway, I was wondering if maybe she wasn't quite over Michael and maybe he moved on. I am sure Michael is involved somehow; I don't know what else she could be so upset about."

An image flashed in his eyes of Penny, cheeks flushed, eyes red. He felt guilty that he was the cause of her pain. Yet, he knew it had been her decision, and he had tried to contact her. Still, the guilt was very real.

"I'm sorry to hear that." He didn't know what else to say.

"Well, who knows?" JoAnna said before sitting back in her seat on the other side of Wyatt, who was still looking perplexed by the whole thing. "Maybe those two will find their way back to each other after all."

He didn't respond, as the lights went down and the curtains were drawn back.

...

After two particular grueling days at the hospital, he was drained. He had lost a patient today. The little girl had been in a car accident, and there wasn't much to be done. They had brought her in, and he made every effort to save her life, but unfortunately the girl was too far gone by the time she had arrived to the hospital. Even though he knew that he had done everything he could have, it still didn't make it any easier.

On the drive home, the whole experience led him to reflect on the fragility of life. As a surgeon, that was something he was faced with on a daily basis, of course. But, with the situation with Penny, his emotions were already on edge. Between that and losing the patient, he felt like he was about to break.

He walked in his house and threw his jacket and keys on the countertop. He closed his eyes and let out a deep sigh. He made his way back to his bedroom, shedding his clothes.

He pulled on a pair of gray lounge pants and a burnt orange long sleeve t-shirt, bearing the moniker "University of Texas Medical School" on the front. He heard the rumbling of thunder in the distance. Then, a few seconds later, he saw flashes outside his window.

Against his better judgment, and certainly against his wife's wishes, he walked outside. He opened the gate to Dogtopia, and he yelled for each of the pups by name. They all eventually came running, some quicker than others. He left the gate open and led them all through the pool area and into the house.

He gave them each a bone or toy to chew on, and they each found somewhere to rest their bones in the comfort of the warm, dry, safe house.

He settled in on the sofa, and picked up the remote. He flipped through the channels. He stumbled upon a _West Wing_ marathon, and began to watch. He fondly recalled the day that they had spent together, discussing the show. He remembered her eyes lighting up. He watched three episodes, and was onto the fourth. Several times during each episode, he would think to himself what she would have thought about this phrase, that speech, this person, that person. He did know that the season currently showing was one of the later seasons, and remembered her specifically saying that she hadn't liked much about those years.

He replayed that day in his mind. Yes, he remembered specifically asking if there was anything from the later seasons that she enjoyed. And, he remembered very distinctly a faraway look on her face before she answered him. At the time, he had interpreted her response as less than honest, but he didn't want to pry. Now, he knew his inclination was correct.

And then, like a bolt of lightning, it hit him. He had received that same look precisely five days ago. It had been so familiar to him, and now he knew why.

He looked at the clock. It was just after 11 pm. It was late. But…

He shot up and ran to grab his wallet and keys. He opened the sliding glass door just a crack. He spoke out loud equally to himself and to his dogs. "You guys will be fine here, right? Of course you will, you'll be fine. Just don't destroy the house. Behave yourselves. You'll be fine right? Yeah, you'll be fine."

Then, he bolted out the door.

* * *

Penny's eyes blinked open at the sounds of loud noises and Beeker's incessant barking. It sounded like someone banging against the door. She had fallen asleep on the couch again, and reached up to wipe away a trail of drool with the back of her hand.

She noticed the lightning flashing outside, and realized the bangs that had awoken her and her dog's yelps were likely related to the storm outside. She grabbed the empty ice cream carton sitting on the floor with a spoon inside and walked toward the kitchen. She dropped the spoon in the sink and placed the carton in the wastebasket.

Her hair was falling out of her ponytail unceremoniously. She reached up and pulled her hair free from the hair tie, smoothed her hair out, then put it back up into a sloppy bun. Keane's "Somewhere Only We Know" was playing on the speaker system on which her iPod was docked.

Beeker continued to bark, and the pounding on the door got louder. She became nervous that maybe it wasn't the storm after all. She swallowed her nerves, and went to open the door. Brave dog that Beeker was, he went and hid in the other room. She shook her head.

She gasped when she opened the door and standing in front of her was Sheldon Cooper, soaking wet. She had never seen his eyes as intense as they were looking straight through her.

"The Ticket," he breathed out.

She was still stunned from seeing him standing here on her front porch that she barely registered what he had said. "What?"

"The Ticket," he repeated.

"I…I don't know what you mean," she said.

He stepped forward, but without crossing the threshold. "It means you lied."


	24. Toast and Jelly

_Hope everyone had a lovely weekend. I am so excited to be getting this to you. Hopefully, you will wake bright and early to a happy Monday morning surprise. :)_

_For those of you amazing writers out there, I assure you, I am not just not commenting on your stories because I am a meanie. Unfortunately, I have not gotten a chance to catch up on Shenny Fan fiction in quite some time. I am hoping to be able to devote a few hours eventually to getting caught up on all the wonderful stories that inspire me._

_I urge you to check out the footnote first for a couple of links that are supplemental to this chapter. Now, you don't NEED to view them to "get" the chapter. It may be helpful though. _

_I don't own the Big Bang Theory. Sorry._

* * *

Penny blinked multiple times, convinced that she was having some sort of hallucination. She was sure that eventually she would open her eyes, and this would all have been some dream.

It wasn't.

The lightning continued to flash in the sky, while the sounds of thunder and rain pitter-pattering against the porch awning cut through the silence.

She noticed that he respectfully stood on the other side of the doorway. She looked behind him, and saw something missing.

"How'd you get here?"

"I walked."

"You what?! In this weather, are you_ insane_?"

"Well, I drove, and parked my car at the Shell station down the road, then I walked the rest of the way."

She did the math to herself. "That's nearly two miles, Sheldon!"

"Yes, but I didn't want you to have to explain anything to your parents if they happened to see my car out here. I thought it would be easier."

She saw him shiver, and she reached out to pull him inside. She shut the door behind her.

"God, look at you. You're soaked to the bone."

"It's not that bad," his teeth chattered.

She motioned for him to sit down. "Here." She walked down the hallway to a closet and pulled out a space heater. She brought it back to the living room and plugged it in. Sheldon slid down the couch toward the heat source.

She stood, folding her arms. "I just want you to know the only reason I am letting you stay is because it is storming outside. If I weren't afraid a tornado would come along and sweep you up, I'd be sending your butt walking back down to Shell."

He shrugged. "I'll take it."

She didn't sit. She didn't want to get too comfortable. She just stood and waited.

"So are you ready to explain yourself?"

"You lied to me," he said. But, if she was hearing correctly, his voice was affectionate, not upset.

"How do you figure?"

"The Ticket."

"You keep saying that, and I have no clue what you are talking about."

"_The West Wing_."

_Now_, she had a clue what he was talking about. Vaguely.

"Go on."

"I asked you once about the last seasons of _West Wing_ if there was anything you liked about them. You said no. But, I had my doubts. And, now, knowing you as well as I do, I know that you were holding something back."

She neither confirmed nor denied, but she shifted her eyes away from him, so he continued.

"That's what I thought. I think there _was_ something you liked. And, I am just speculating at this point, but I believe that you didn't share it with me at the time, because you didn't want to be vulnerable to me."

Penny tightened her arms around herself as he stood to face her.

"Josh and Donna, maybe? So many moments that you talked about involved them, so I know you liked them, at least as co-workers. But, I think it was more. I think you were thrilled when they finally came together. But, I think _you_ didn't want_ me_ to know how much. You didn't want me to know how much you believe in love. You didn't want me to see you as some starry-eyed child. Am I right?"

She shook her head emphatically, but unfortunately, she could not control the redness coloring her cheeks.

"I saw 'The Ticket' tonight. You know the episode right? It reminded me of you. Of us, really." Penny stared at the floor as he continued to speak, stepping closer to her with each word. (*FN)

"How so?" she asked quietly.

"Josh was so lost. He was in a whole new world, away from the safety of everything he knew. He was scared. He didn't know who to trust; he couldn't trust anybody. He didn't even know if he could trust himself. He was lost. And then _she_ was there, and he was found."

She felt Sheldon gently take one of her hands into his. Despite wanting to jerk it away, she took a breath and looked up into his face.

"She was offering to be with him, professionally of course, but it was more than that. The tension between them was far from professional. But, he rejected her. And in that moment, there was a look on Josh's face. Pain. He wanted so badly to accept her. But, instead, he felt like he needed to take the high road. He felt he needed to do the 'right' thing. What he failed to realize was that all he really _needed_ was _her_."

"That was a very touching moment. But, what does that have to do with us? And, how does that make me a liar?" she pushed.

"Well, for one, feeling a sense of having to do the right thing, a duty to propriety, saying one thing when the eyes tell a completely different story…doesn't that sound a bit familiar to you?"

She bit her bottom lip, feeling suddenly uncomfortable under the scrutiny of his gaze.

"I've seen that look before. In fact, I saw it just last weekend, when I asked if you were sure about what you really wanted. You said one thing, but well, you lied."

She felt the tears trickling down her cheeks. "A comforting lie told to protect you," she whispered. "If you think I don't miss you every day..."

He shook his head at her, disapprovingly, but she saw quite clearly affection shining in his blue eyes.

At that moment, there was a loud clap of thunder and the power went out. She jumped just slightly, and she found herself in his arms, involuntarily.

He was being chivalrous and protective. She inwardly scowled. She was independent and didn't _need_ protecting. She did not clutch back for him, but for a tiny fraction of a moment, a millisecond really, she savored his embrace.

Her cell phone rang, breaking up the moment. She pulled it out of the pocket of her sweatpants.

"Pen, it's Dad."

"Hey Dad."

"Is the power off down there?"

"Yes, it is."

"Power must be off everywhere then. I was just checking. Do you think you'll be okay?"

"Yes, I'll be fine, Daddy."

"Okay, well I am going to call the power company and let them know, just in case there are some lines down or a generator got hit by lightning."

"Okay, I'll see you in the morning."

"Night baby."

She turned to Sheldon. "Stay right here."

She lit up her phone and disappeared down the hallway toward the bathroom. She fumbled around on one of the shelves until she saw what she was looking for: a box of matches.

She struck a match, and lit the wick on a handful of candles that were kept in the bathroom. She put down her phone and picked up two of the candles. She made her way back down to her bedroom and placed the candles on her dresser.

Match box in hand, she returned to the living area. In the dark, she carefully walked over to the far wall and felt around on top of the mantle. It was really a glorified shelf, but she called it a mantle. She lit one match and set fire to a series of candles sitting on the shelf.

She turned around to see that Sheldon hadn't moved a single inch since she instructed him to stay.

* * *

Prior to the lights going off, the moment had been so thick with desire that Sheldon was sure that had there not been a power outage and subsequent phone call, something would have happened.

He stood stuck to the floor, unable to move, hoping that she would return to him, and that together they could return to that moment.

He could not see much in the dark, and he had left his phone in the car by accident. After a few minutes, he saw a shadow wisp past him. He heard some rustling and then saw a candle light up, then another and another. Once Penny was done going down the row of candles, she turned around. Seeing her face reflected in the brilliant glow of the candlelight, he prayed that she did not hear the small sound that escaped his throat, somewhere between a sob and a gasp.

She stepped forward. "Listen," she said through an exhausted sigh. "I'm not going to kick you out with the storm and power being out. You can just…take the couch for tonight, or at least till the storm lets up, okay?"

He nodded, and then unsure if she could see him, he choked out, "Okay."

"Goodnight," she said before withdrawing toward her bedroom.

...

He couldn't sleep, as he absent-mindedly rubbed his hand across the fur of Penny's faithful companion, who had made his bed for the evening on the floor right next to the couch.

What was he doing?, he wondered to himself. He had come over here to win her over, to fight for her. And fight for her, he would. He decided that with her in her bedroom, that was the ideal place to take the conversation they needed to have. She would be confined to her room and forced to talk. They would have it out, one way or the other.

He quietly made his way to the end of the hallway, ready to storm in, to take her by surprise. But, that was when he heard it. She was softly crying. He peeked in the room and although mostly dim, there was enough light to see her face buried in a pillow, clutching at the fabric on the bed.

He closed his eyes and let out a deep breath. He loved her, and seeing her like that, he couldn't bring himself to follow through on his plan. He returned to the living room, Beeker following behind.

...

He didn't know what time it was when her voice woke him up.

"Beeker, baby, please come to bed with momma. She misses you."

Then, "Come on Beekie, I need my snuggle bear."

He heard her patting her legs and snapping her fingers.

"I know you miss him, bubby." Her voice was very close, and he opened one eye just a sliver to see her crouched down next to the couch, petting her dog. "Please come. Please."

She let out a frustrated sigh, and stood, seeming to resign herself to the situation. A thought entered his mind and almost immediately, he acted on it, reaching out to grab her wrist. She stopped.

He let go of her wrist and sat up.

She was stuttering an apology. "I…uh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to wake you. Just…I'll let you go back to sleep."

"Um, actually," he swallowed, standing up. "The storm seems to have moved through and the rain isn't so bad, so I'll probably just head back to my car. Thank you for your sofa." He wasn't bluffing or playing any sort of game. He just wanted her to feel better, and if him being gone was what it took, then so be it.

"No, Sheldon, you don't have to…"

"Yes, I do."

"Let me drive you," she offered.

"You have no business being out in this weather," he said with authority.

She guffawed in response. "So the weather is too bad for _me_ to be driving in, but it is okay for _you_ to walk half an hour in?"

He reached up and brushed her cheek with the back of his hand. "I am going to quote you, Penelope. Please, don't make this any harder for me."

"Don't go," her voice was small. "Not right now."

His mind was racing, wondering if he was really hearing what she was saying or just what he wanted to hear.

"Are you saying…" he couldn't finish his thought.

"Stay. Please stay," she said in a voice he had never quite heard before.

His eyes searched hers. Her green orbs were watery, but inside each iris were a number of flecks of gold. As their eyes danced with each other, he saw her gulp, and he couldn't contain it anymore. He grabbed her on each side of her neck and pushed his desperate lips to hers.

When her mouth not only received but reciprocated, he would never be able to describe in words the feeling that surged through him in that instant.

And then, she was tugging at the bottom of his shirt. She was in tears, but also laughing. "You should have known better than to wear this shirt over here," she joked against his lips, as he raised his hands, letting her pull the UT shirt off his torso.

He pushed the spaghetti straps of her camisole down off her shoulders and peppered her skin with kisses. They had bits and pieces of a conversation between heated kisses.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

Another piece of clothing came off.

"Are you_ really_ sure?"

"Yes!"

He turned around to make sure all three locks, including the deadbolt on the door was locked.

"If you're not sure…"

"Sheldon!"

She giggled and placed a very solid kiss to his lips. He let out a soft groan.

"Your bedroom?"

"Yes," she breathed out.

He pulled away from her, walked over to the wall and proceeded to blow out what was left of each candle. "Can't be burning the place down," he explained.

She gripped his hand and pulled him down the hall. Once to her room, she leaned down to blow out one of two jar candles sitting on her dresser. She moved to the next. "Leave it," he said.

They tumbled onto the bed and didn't sleep until long after the second wick had burned out.

* * *

She woke up in her bed and smiled. She felt a sense of warmth: her trusty lab Beeker snuggled up to and laying on top of her legs. This was how she awoke most mornings in recent memory, cuddled up with her pup keeping her all warm and toasty. As she also did most mornings, she stretched her arms out.

This morning, however, as she stretched, her right arm collided with a firm body. She reached her other arm down and felt her naked form beneath her, and struggled not to curse out loud. She closed her eyes as the memories of the night before all came flooding back to her. How could she have even possibly forgotten?

She carefully moved her hand back. She slowly turned her head, worried that any movement may wake her bed companion. She just wanted to make sure she wasn't imagining things. Sure enough, out of the corner of her eye, she saw his body and the unmistakable hair on his head. She closed her eyes again, trying to formulate a plan of action.

She decided she would just go back to sleep and hope that he would awaken soon, and skulk out of her place without wanting to talk to her. She carefully turned on her side, with her back facing him. Her eyes flew open, as she felt him scoot up against her, and rest his arm over her waist. She felt his breath on the back of her neck. She didn't dare move, however. She just hoped that he was moving in his sleep.

Those hopes were dashed as she heard a husky voice speak into her ear: "Last night was amazing, Kitten."

She stared straight ahead. They had agreed to end things. They hadn't even lasted a week.

...

When she re-opened her eyes, his side of the bed was empty. She exhaled in relief. She was embarrassed at what she had done in a moment of grief. A moment of weakness. An anomaly.

She got up, wrapped a robe around herself and went to the kitchen, turning on the coffee machine. She let out a small gasp when she felt arms wrap around her from behind. She also hung her head, disappointed that he was still there.

"Good morning," his velvet voice crooned, before he placed a kiss to her cheek. "I love you."

"Yeah, about that…"

_POP_

"Toast's ready." He moved around her, his mood chipper. "Butter and jelly or cinnamon butter?"

"Uh…butter and jelly, I guess?"

"Good choice!" he grinned, pointing the butter knife at her.

She felt guilt sweep over her, seeing him as happy as she had ever seen him, maybe even more.

"Sheldon, about last night…"

"Penny, Penny, Penny…you didn't know I was coming over, and you certainly didn't know the events that would transpire. Do not be ashamed that your leg-shaving ritual has not exactly been consistent. I didn't mind." He plopped down a mug of coffee and plate of toast in front of her.

"Oh, geez, Sheldon!" she groaned.

"Speaking of, a shower is most definitely in order. I don't know about you, but after that many times, I am feeling rather…"

"It was a mistake!" she shouted, the silence resulting from it deafening.

"What?"

"I was feeling weak, and vulnerable, and I didn't want to be alone. And you were here," she waved her hands in explanation.

"You asked me to stay. You told me you loved me," he said in disbelief.

"I'm sorry."

"You don't love me?"

"Of course I love you!"

"You don't want to be with me?"

"I _do_, but it's complicated."

"It's really not."

"It really _is_."

"It's really not. I want to be with you, and I love you. And you feel the same for me. That's all that matters. As for things between me and Lana, that's for_ me_ to handle. And, for what it's worth, I _am_ going to ask for a divorce. We _are_ going to split up. And I _will_ be available in the near future."

"Available?" she asked hopefully.

"Well, not_ technically_ available."

She frowned. "What?"

"I'm actually very _un_available. You see, I'm yours."

"Mine?"

He brushed her hair behind her ear. "Yes, _yours._ I have been since the moment we met. Maybe even longer."

Just like that, the weight was lifted off her shoulders. They belonged to each other in mind, spirit, and every way that mattered. She was going to trust Sheldon to do what he promised so that they could officially be together.

It wasn't her responsibility to do the moral thing. It wasn't her responsibility to take the high road. Her only responsibility was to herself. And, she would not deny herself anymore

* * *

**Footnotes:**

**You'll have to copy and paste these into Youtube, forward slash**

**FN1 This is the scene that is described in this chapter**

**watch?v=Fo0hLF3z_j4**

**FN2 This is relatively unrelated to the chapter, but just gives a little bit of a backstory on the two characters described. Plus, it contains one of my favorite lines of all time. Two words: red lights.**

**watch?NR=1&feature=endscreen&v=hI9KdJjo3Ps**


	25. Love Bites

_I do not own TBBT or any of its characters._

_No really, I don't_

* * *

After breakfast, Sheldon sat in the middle of the sofa, holding the _Da Vinci Code_ in his hands. Penny sat with her back against the sofa arm, resting her legs in his lap, as he read aloud.

With the author's new book coming out, they decided to re-read the series together. They both missed the passionate discussions that they used to have when they were on the panel at the theater. They knew that these books would give them a number of opportunities for intelligent banter.

He finished the chapter and then handed the book to Penny. They switched every chapter or every other chapter. However, instead of reading, she took the dust-jacket placed it between the sheets to mark their spot, and closed the book.

"Bored already?" he joked.

"It's getting late."

"It's not even eleven o'clock."

"Yes, but the fields aren't flooded anymore, and they are starting to dry. My dad will probably be down here any minute looking for me."

He sighed and stood up, pulling Penny with him.

He buried his face into her neck, nipping lightly. "So I guess we won't have time for this, huh?" He knew the answer, but still held out hope that he could change her mind.

He was ecstatic when she did not respond with a rejection, but rather, soft whimpers escaped her lips. He reached down and gently hooked his fingers inside her sweatpants. However, before things could go further, she pushed him off calmly and stepped back.

"Stop it," she eyed him. "I _do_ have an idea though. I am going to go up to the house; I'll keep my parents distracted. Get your stuff and go to my car," she handed him her keys. "Then, I'll drive you to your car, okay?"

He frowned. "Well, I guess. It beats walking."

She grabbed her purse and straightened out her clothes. "The small key is for the door. Lock the door behind you. Give me just a couple of minutes. I'll see you in a few." Then, she was out the door.

He watched out the window and saw her walk around to the back of the house, where the kitchen was, instead of going in the front door. After a minute or so, he did as she said, settled down into the passenger seat of her Prius and slumped down.

...

Penny wore a smile on her face when she opened the door and got in. She buckled the safety belt, turned on the ignition and pulled down the driveway.

"So?" he prompted.

"I told them I would go do the grocery shopping. Mom has to go in at noon, and I normally do the errands for her. I told my dad that since the fields are still a little too soggy, I would go to the store and maybe by the time I get back, we could get to work. That seemed to appease him."

"I see. And why does this make you so happy? Grocery shopping?"

"Well, I was thinking maybe if _you_ needed to pick up anything, you could come with me?"

A smile lit up his face. "Sure! I mean…well, I don't know if that is such a good idea," he backtracked.

"Why?" she pouted.

"Well, I mean, Lana and I are not officially separated yet. We are both from the area. The chances are good at least one of us will run into someone we may know."

Her lips curled up into a devilish grin. "How about this? I drop you off at your car and then run to Target for groceries. You go to Target for groceries, which will be shopped for using a completely different cart. So, we'll be shopping separately. And, if we just _happen_ to be in the same aisles at the same time…just a happy coincidence, right?"

He shook his head at her, but smiled. "You're scary, sometimes, missy."

"I think you mean genius," she said before looking both ways and pulling slowly out into traffic.

* * *

She saw the convertible with top up sitting out in front of the Shell station and pulled in.

"I'm surprised they didn't have you towed," she said sagely.

"Well, with the storm and everything, I'm sure they thought it was an emergency situation and gave it the benefit of the doubt."

Sheldon leaned over and kissed her tenderly before reaching for the door. As for her, as she was settling back into her seat, something flashed in her mirror that caught her eye. She adjusted the mirror, looked directly into it, and gasped. The noise caused Sheldon to turn to face her.

"What?! What's wrong?"

She glared at him and screeched loudly, "_What_ is this? What is _this_?!" She pointed out a very distinctive gray-green bruise on her neck.

She was not particularly amused when the only response she received was a smile of she assumed to be pride. "Well?"

Penny pursed her lips in annoyance, even as he leaned forward to lightly kiss her neck over the offending area. "I believe," he kissed, "that is what they call," and another, "a love bite." He pecked at her once more, pulling away with another smirk.

She exhaled, and then glowered at the physician. "_That_ is what they call quite noticeable. God, I hope my parents didn't see it. I'll need to buy makeup at Target to cover it up. What I have at home is too sheer. It's not cold enough for a scarf."

Sheldon continued to kiss her neck between speaking, as if that would make it all better. Unfortunately for her, it was working quite well.

"Tell them you ran into something in the dark."

"Something that _bit_ me?"

He pulled back and caressed the spot with his fingers. "Does it hurt?" he whispered.

"No," she replied, eyes fully focused on his. "Well, maybe a little."

He placed one last kiss to her neck then pulled away. "I'm sorry, Kitten. I really am."

Immediately, Penny felt bad that she had made _him_ feel bad. While she _was_ bothered, she was really only half-serious about her irritation with him. It kind of made her proud that he had marked her as his own. And that brazen facial expression of his had been well worth it.

"No, don't worry about it! It's fine. If I get the right makeup, it will be as if it wasn't even there."

"If you're sure?"

"I'm sure. Go. I'll see you in a few minutes."

...

The matter was pretty much settled.

Except as they pushed their carts up to the front of the building, she felt a blush creep from her neck into her cheeks as he wordlessly, with only a brief look out of the corner of his eye, reached into her cart, picked up the makeup she had picked out, and placed it in his.

Penny's lips curled up into the tiniest of smiles. How lucky she was to have snagged such a true gentleman.

...

Penny rose from her bed Monday morning, and looked out to the sunny sky. She felt refreshed. While she would have readily accepted having a weekend to "re-discover" their relationship, as it was Sheldon had been on call. Plus they both decided that it would be better to wait until he dissolved his marriage with Lana, at least in spirit, leaving only the legal paperwork to make everything official, to join together as a real-life couple.

She couldn't explain how it felt. Like the calm before the storm in a way, but in a good way. She felt no anxiety, because in the back of her mind, she had the knowledge that in exchange for these few days of solitude, in return she would gain a lifetime of happiness and love. It was worth it.

She was surprised to look out the window and not see her father plowing away, as she would have expected. She slipped on a pair of flip-flops and walked out onto her porch. She did not hear any machinery noises either. She frowned. It was very quiet. _Too_ quiet. Eerie almost.

She walked up to the house and let herself in the front door. Bless her parents' hearts, but they never locked the house, except when they went out of town. They lived in such a small, rural area that they had an inherent trust in people. It certainly made it easier for her to come and go, but she would be lying if she said it didn't worry her sometimes.

"Mom! Dad!" she yelled for them.

Relief washed over her when she saw her mother's face peek out from the kitchen. "We're back here, honey."

She made her way back to the kitchen, where both her parents were sitting at the kitchen table. Her father was reading the newspaper with a grave look upon his face. Her mother returned to her chair after putting something back into the refrigerator.

"Would you like some coffee?" she asked.

Penny nodded, still looking worriedly at her mom and dad. "Sure." She walked over to the pot and poured herself a mug of the black brew, adding sugar, creamer, and a little dash of milk, before sitting at the table.

"Honey, have you talked to Michael recently?" her mom queried. "Today?"

"No, not today. Why?"

Her parents exchanged looks. Her father then folded up the paper and placed it in front of her, letting out a deep breath in the process.

There in the middle of the page was a bolded headline. She was positive that her heart stopped beating. She couldn't breathe. She imagined that she was rather pale, as she could feel the blood draining from her face.

**Fiery Accident Claims Life of Walnut Creek Resident**

Her eyes had gone blurry from unshed tears, and she had to fight them off so that she could at least read the article. Her hands shook as she tried to focus on each word. And then she saw it. She gasped and covered her mouth with her hand. She wanted to cry.

Lana Cooper was dead.

She became emotional at how thankful she was that it wasn't another name. And, then she scolded herself; despite loving Sheldon with her whole heart, she would never have hoped for or wanted this to happen. It didn't feel right to be so grateful. But, it was human.

"Michael's stepmom?" she choked out.

Her mom looked at her with concern. "I know baby, just awful."

"Dad?"

"Farmin' is going to be pretty light today I reckon. I think you have other places you ought to be today," he gave her a supportive look.

Yes, she did. But, it wasn't what they thought.

When she made it back to her guest house, she dug around in her sheets for her phone, finally finding it on the fourth try.

She had one voicemail. It was from Michael, giving her the news. There were no voicemails, missed calls or text messages from his father, and that concerned her. Actually, it made her very sad. Why wouldn't he call her? As his lover and partner, she assumed that she would have been at least on the list of people to call. And yet nothing.

Well, invitation or not, she was going to go comfort him. And he didn't have a say in the matter. She loved him, and she wanted to do everything she could to take care of him during this trying time.

...

She pulled up to the Cooper home and nerves hit her like a ton of bricks. At home and on the drive over, she had been so sure of herself, so steadfast in her intentions. She was more than prepared to put on a brave face and be whatever he needed her to be. But, now, sitting in his driveway, she trembled.

What could she say? What should she do? Would he even answer the door? All these questions and more swirled inside her mind as she slowly got out of the vehicle and walked to the door.

She rang the doorbell and closed her eyes.

As the door opened, she was nearly knocked backwards by a pair of arms, as she felt herself being enveloped in an embrace.


	26. Revelations

_Hey guys! I am probably going to have __**one**__ more update for you guys for the rest of this week into the weekend. It will be a doozy. There's maybe a handful of chapters left (depending on how long I make each one); please don't cry. I will probably cry enough for all of us._

_Again, re-read if you feel compelled, blog about it, share it with friends, review, tweet about it. Part of what keeps me here day after day, week after week, is the Shenny fandom, and if it weren't for works like this and SO many others, the fandom would die. I know the fandom has declined, but hopefully we can build it up again._

_TBBT gets new viewers all the time, and if you can get just one new fan over to my story, maybe they will look into other Shenny stories, then maybe they will watch Shenny videos, then maybe they will be a part of the fandom too._

_Ripples in the water, folks. _

_I still don't own it though._

* * *

"Thank God you're here." Michael Cooper said into her ear.

Penny pulled away from him. "I'm _so_ sorry, Michael. Really, I am."

She looked into his red eyes. "Yeah, it was not an easy night, that's for sure."

She winced. "How's…" she swallowed, unable to finish her question.

"He's…been better. He seems to be in shock. Hasn't said but two words since I got over here."

"Oh God," she shook her head.

"I hate to ask, but could you stay with him for a little bit? I was on my way out when you got here. I need to go down to the police department. I really didn't want him to be here alone. If you wouldn't mind, I'll be back when I can."

"I don't mind."

He kissed her cheek. "Thanks, Pen. I owe you one. We'll have a chance to catch up when I get back."

"Of course."

She walked through to the kitchen and great room. She noticed the patio door slightly open. She pushed through to see him sitting in one of the chairs to the outdoor dining set. If he noticed her presence, he was very good at hiding it.

He was staring out, straight in front of him. His eyes seemed dead; they were not red nor did they appear to hold any tears. His hands were folded in front of him, resting on the glass tabletop.

"Sheldon?" she asked quietly, as if approaching a baby deer. She didn't want to spook him.

It wasn't instantaneous, but after a few moments, he gradually shifted his eyes to her, at least acknowledging her existence. Her heart broke; his eyes were balls of nothingness toward her. She searched for love, acceptance, gratefulness. All she wanted was a look that said, "Thank you for being here for me." He didn't have to say it out loud.

_How selfish am I?_

In the midst of his grief, all she could think of was why he wasn't looking at her the way she wanted. She didn't know what she was _supposed_ to do, as the girlfriend of a man who just lost his wife. All she knew was what she _could_ do as a friend.

She walked over to him and kissed him on the crown of his head, then brushed her hands across his hair as if smoothing his hair down. He never had a hair out of place, so it was probably more for her benefit than his, but it just felt like the right thing to do.

Then, she stooped down and gave him a sweet hug, pulling tightly, trying to pour all the support she could into it. He sat stiffly beneath her, and for an instant, she was hurt by his demeanor. But, as soon as the thought came, she stomped it down, reminding herself that she was here for _him_.

She could have cried when she felt him reach up and place a hand over hers where her hands were joined near his chest. She sighed and took a seat next to him, holding onto his hand lightly.

"I'm so sorry," she said, voice cracking.

His eyes left hers and looked downwards, focusing on some random spot on the table.

"I'm here, okay? As long as you need me." She leaned her head down in an attempt to catch his eye again. "Whatever you need, let me know. Sheldon...what can I do? Let me help."

He looked back at her and stood, pulling on her hand. She followed him, as he walked through the pool area, around the corner to the outside entrance to the master bedroom. Her lower lip trembled as he led her inside. Was he needing to cry in the privacy of his bedroom? Was he exhausted and just needed to sleep?

He hadn't said a word, not a single word since she had arrived. She waited for a scream, for a sob, for _anything_ to relay to her that he was feeling _something_.

They were standing near the foot of the bed. He turned around to face her. Penny was once again unsure of how to proceed. She opened her mouth to speak something off the top of her head that could be soothing. Her words died on her lips when she saw him shake his head and hold up his hands, asking her not to speak.

Instead he pushed her gently toward the bed, where she sat on the edge, and he sat next to her. She faced him and waited. Waited for him to talk. Waited for him to yell. Waited for him to bury his face in her shoulder and lose it.

She was gobsmacked when his only movement was to lunge at her, planting his lips against hers insistently. He pushed her down on the bed. It wasn't due to his physical might or her lack of strength. She was simply too stunned to push back.

He took a breath, and that gave her the chance to sit up. She held her arms out to maintain the distance between them, as he persisted.

"Sheldon, do you really think this is an appropriate time?"

Finally, he spoke.

* * *

It was impossible to describe his state of mind. He was in a haze, a mixture of buzzed and high. He felt each move he made acutely, and at the same time, it was like he was having an out-of-body experience. He was void of emotions regarding the news he had received. And being emotionless was exhausting.

Was it the appropriate time?

"Who is to say what is appropriate? If our coupling is appropriate at any other time, then it is appropriate now. If it is inappropriate now, it is inappropriate always."

She narrowed her eyes as if studying him, and it made him uncomfortable.

"Sheldon, why didn't you call me?" she asked gently.

He bit back. "I don't know. Something about calling to tell my _mistress_ about my wife's death; now_ that_ would be inappropriate."

"Okay, I am going to let that 'mistress' bit go, because I know you are hurting right now."

"I'm not hurting. I'm not anything at all," he said with an even voice.

"That's not true," she pierced his eyes with hers. "You are definitely_ something_, or else you wouldn't be acting this way. Are you feeling sad? Guilty?"

"Why should I feel guilty,_ Penelope_? You mean because of my _affair_ with you?" he spat bitterly. "That implies that I think our affair had some sort of connection to her accident, which I do not."

"You mean like karma?"

"Of course not! I don't believe in such ridiculous hokum."

"But?"

He softened his voice. "But, I can't help but wonder…if there_ is_ a God out there, am I being punished for my misdeeds? Is it a sign?"

"You can't think like that. Most things in life are isolated incidents. Good things happen, and bad things too. But, if you look at things like only a punishment or a reward, you will drive yourself crazy in the meantime."

"You're right," he conceded just to placate the blonde across from him and leaned forward to feel her closeness. She rebuffed him again.

"Are you sure you don't want to talk?"

He rolled his eyes in an exaggerated fashion. "Did you not say that you wanted to help me?"

"I did."

"And did you not ask me what I needed from you?"

"Yes, but…"

"But nothing. This," he pointed between the two of them, "is what I need."

She looked like she was considering his words. "I don't think it _is_ what you need. You think that now, but later, you may regret it. Plus, we don't really know when Michael will be back, and if he were to walk in on us making love, it might…"

"NO!" he bellowed. "This isn't about love! It's not about you. It's not about us. I haven't slept since I found out. I am drained, but I can't seem to be able to close my eyes. Ever heard of being too tired to sleep? Well, that's me right now. I'm too tired to function, but too tired to sleep. Well, I can think of a way to wear myself out."

Her eyes went wide, but he continued.

"We screw for a while, I get exhausted, and it will buy me a couple of hours of sleep. Then, I'll wake up and maybe we repeat the cycle…until I start to feel better. I just need to sleep, that's all. You are just a tool, a means to an end."

The normally level-headed girl could not hide the emotion on her face. She looked at him in disbelief and swallowed. Her mouth was quivering, and he could tell she was fighting to keep her tears at bay.

She stood and wagged a finger in his face. "You know what? You can go drink a whole bottle of Nyquil for all I care. That'll put you to sleep. But, you are getting _nothing_ from me. I want _no part_ of whatever is going on inside that head of yours. I am going to go wait in the living room for_ your son_, and try to remember why I ever broke up with him in the first place."

She stormed out of the room and slammed the door behind her.

Sheldon lay back on the bed. She just did not understand what he was going through. While he did feel a certain amount of grief at losing a close friend, his main sentiment was anger. Anger at the universe for creating such a chaotic scenario for him to deal with. He was taking his anger out on her, and he knew it was wrong, but he just couldn't help it. He felt the need to bite someone's head off, and she happened to be there. There was a reason he sent Michael down to the police station in his place.

...

He didn't even realize he had drifted off to sleep until he heard the front door open and shut. After rubbing his eyes, he made his way to the front room, where he saw Penny sitting on the couch and Michael standing.

"Dad!" Michael exclaimed. "Are you feeling better?"

"I think so. I just needed some rest."

"Good, I'm glad."

"So what did you find out?" Penny asked anxiously.

"Um," his son looked to him. "Maybe we should sit down."

Michael sat in one of the armchairs. Despite at least four other places he could have sat down, Sheldon settled in right next to Penny, with barely two inches between them. He did not hold her hand or touch her in anyway. But, under different circumstances, they would have looked very much like the couple they were.

She shot him a glare before turning back toward the younger man.

"It was a really bad crash. Fiery," he explained. "Her car went off an embankment and flipped before bursting into flames." Sheldon saw Penny shudder and resisted the urge to place a hand on her thigh. "They weren't able to find a body, but that's not unusual. She may have been ejected if she wasn't wearing her seat belt, but I told them she _always_ wore the seat belt. The more likely conclusion is that if she was in the car, and it was an explosion, her body was disintegrated almost instantly."

Penny let out a dry sob.

"If it was a slow fire, they would have a chance to find fragments of body parts. But, by witness accounts, it seems like it was probably an explosion of some sort. If they can find," Michael gulped, "ashes from the crime scene, they may be able to identify her. And, there is still a chance that she wasn't strapped in and was ejected from the vehicle. But, even if that is the case, there is no way she could have survived the speed and trajectory of the fall."

Sheldon nodded, while Penny stated, "How awful."

"She wanted to be cremated anyway, but it still would have been nice to have a body to memorialize," he added pragmatically.

Michael continued: "They have assigned an investigative team to search for the body, or anything else to help identify her. They also have to investigate what caused the crash. The hard part is there is not much left of the car to examine, but they are going to try. They have to rule out foul play, but considering it happened in Tennessee, it's pretty much a given that it was just an accident, but it's their job," he shrugged.

"I'd like to start to plan a memorial service. Do they have a time frame in which they will know whether any part is recoverable or not?" he asked. "I will wait, if there is a chance…but if not, I'd like to start the process as soon as possible."

"Well, Dad," his son's voice faltered, "it could be weeks. The investigation into foul play and for an actual body should only take a couple of days, they said. But, as to finding microscopic pieces, they said it could take a much longer time, and that they usually consider it a full loss if they are not able to discover anything within a month."

"I see."

"Dad, I think you should have the service sooner rather than later. There is no guarantee they will find anything, and you would only be prolonging a very painful situation. If they _do_ happen to find her remains, then we can have a private service later."

"I agree with Michael," Penny said.

_Of course she does._

"I'll give them three days, and if they are unable to procure anything by then, I will plan the memorial. Perhaps Saturday or next Monday."

"I think that's a good idea, Dad."

He felt a catch in his throat when Penny looked at him and placed her hand on his. "And I'll be around if you need me. Whatever you need help with, I'm your girl." She let out a slight laugh. "Within reason." She had laughed, but Sheldon was pretty sure she was referencing their earlier conversation and he couldn't blame her.

The moment was brief; Michael may not have even noticed, or even if he did, he probably took it as a gesture of consolation and nothing more.

"Man, I'm hungry," his son said as he looked down at his watch. "How about I go pick us up some food? A late lunch?"

Penny stood immediately. "I can make something," she started for the kitchen.

"Penny, that's not necessary," Sheldon said warmly.

"Right, I insist," Michael added. "Dad? Anything sound good?"

"How about Pita Palace?" he suggested. He would have preferred to send his son halfway across Nebraska to buy him some alone time with Penny, but he settled for a place that would give them probably close to an hour together.

"Pitas it is," the younger Cooper said brightly.

Michael grabbed a piece of paper and a pen to take their order. "Dad?"

"I'll have the falafel and a bowl of their black bean soup."

"Pen?"

"I'll take a veggie pita and a chicken…oh what is it called?" she said to herself. "Chicken…chicken…"

"Souvlaka," Sheldon supplied the answer.

"Yes! Chicken Souvlaka."

Sheldon looked up to see his son looking at him with a weird look. He shrugged. "Just a guess. They only have two chicken pitas."

"Anything else?"

They each declined verbally.

He didn't know what came over him. His brain must have melted. In mere seconds, he had forgotten who ordered what. "Oh Michael, on the chicken pita, tell them no tzatziki sauce and substitute the thai red curry sauce instead."

He heard Penny erupt into coughing fits before he turned to look at her. "What?"

"You mean for the falafel." Michael stated in a questioning tone. His eyes were narrowed at his father.

_Oh crap._

He did not like the curry sauce and he knew Penny hated tzatziki. But, how would he be able to explain? He didn't know what he had been thinking. The words had just come out.

"Penny?" Michael looked to her.

"I…um, well….uh…."

"Actually, that was what Lana preferred. She preferred the curry sauce over the tzatziki. She said the curry sauce was the best sauce on their menu. It just came out of me, I don't know why. I apologize, Penelope, for hijacking your order like that."

She played along. "Oh no, that's fine. In fact, that's a great idea. The red thai curry instead of the tzatziki works for me. In honor of Lana," she added.

"You sure, Penny?"

"Yeah, I'm glad your father made the suggestion."

"Well, okay then," Michael still looked very confused. But, he said his goodbyes, took his keys, and walked out the front door.

* * *

She walked over to look out the door and waited until his car disappeared out of sight. Then, she turned back to Sheldon.

"Thanks for remembering. I forgot."

He gave her a half-smile. "Anytime."

She sat down right next to him. "So, you seem better?"

"Yes, I do feel quite a bit better."

"I am so sorry about…"

"There's no need," he interrupted her.

"I know," she sighed. "I just don't know what else to say."

"Say you forgive me for acting like a complete buffoon back there."

She leaned forward and ghosted a kiss against his lips. "I forgive you," she whispered. "But, it's understandable that you are sensitive. I mean you are grief-stricken."

"Well…I _am_ deeply saddened over Lana's death, but that outburst had more to do with the fact that I felt, still feel, angry."

"At yourself?"

"At the world. And for reasons that are not entirely proper considering the circumstances."

"The circumstances?"

She felt nervous when he turned to face her. "Penny, in light of what has happened, we can never be together." She felt her world crashing down around her. "Not officially at least. I still want to be with you, every minute of every hour of every day, believe me. But, as a widower, it would be considered wrong to seek companionship maybe even up to a year later. We'd have to wait months before we could be seen together."

"I don't mind waiting," she said gently.

"It's not that easy. With our age difference, which you know I don't mind by the way, no matter how long we wait, I'll be the pathetic old creeper and you'll be…"

"The young hussy that macked on a grieving widower," she finished his sentence for him.

"Right."

"I don't care."

"What?"

She had always been the tentative one in the relationship, the cautious one. She smiled at him. "I don't care."

He was speechless.

"Let people talk. Let them think what they want. I'm not saying we have to show up together to Lana's memorial service. But, we will be a couple, publicly. We should be."

"What are you saying?" her stomach flipped at the gleam in his eyes.

"I'm saying…that the only people whose opinion matter in this relationship are you and me. As long as you and I are happy, that's the important thing. And the rest of the world can suck it."

At that, Sheldon attacked her with passionate kisses and this time, she gave in. She moved to straddle his lap and peppered his face and neck with kisses. She felt his beautiful hands grasp her around the waist and she let out a contented sigh.

...

She was still straddling him when she came to, but she was cuddled up to his chest and he was holding onto her tightly. She purred against him as she tried to sit up. "Hey." She looked up into heavily lidded eyes.

"Hey," he said back.

Then, she thought she heard something. She froze. "Did you hear something?"

He stared back at her. "Yes, it sounded like a…"

They both heard a car door slam and shot up, grabbing for their clothing. Luckily, they had stayed clothed from the waists up. Penny tugged on her underwear and jeans as Sheldon did the same. She smoothed her hair and her clothing down.

"Your zipper, your zipper," she said to him urgently.

He looked down and quickly tugged his zipper upwards.

She looked into his face and flushed. "You need to go splash some water on your face. You look too..."

"Too what?"

"_Satisfied_," she said in a hushed voice. "You look like you've been having sex. Oh God, does it smell like sex in here? It _does_! It smells like sex in here. We're doomed."

Luckily though, when Michael came walking through the door, the smell of Pita Palace wafted through the room, and Penny exhaled a sigh of relief.


	27. The Truth is Out There

_Sorry, guys. I am a little late. I ended up going out of town, and I took my computer with me in anticipation that I would have time to finish things up, but I was mistaken._

_But, here is a pretty long, crazy, twisty and turny chapter for you._

_Thanks for the reviews. I know this can be a little wild and crazy!_

* * *

Two weeks later, Sheldon could confidently say their relationship was better than ever. They had weathered a very difficult storm together, and when they came out on the other side, they were closer than he ever imagined he could be with another person.

The investigators had called the actual day of the memorial service to inform him of their findings. On a positive note, they found no indication of foul play. Unfortunately, they were unable to recover any of her remains. When they said that they would continue to sift through the wreckage, he simply replied, "Don't."

They would honor her and that was enough for him. If they found a tablespoon worth of ashes that _may_ have come from her fingernails, it wouldn't bring her back. It was waste of time and resources to continue searching. Lana's memory would exist whether they found her or not. It was time to move on.

As for he and Penny, they had gone semi-public with their relationship. While they hadn't come out yet to their families or friends, they went out on dates. They tended to steer clear of some of the local places, but they did go to nearby towns and suburbs for dinner or to the movies. And obviously, with the house to himself, Penny was able to come and go much more frequently. The folks down at Teague's were probably very grateful that they did not have to use their restroom for their liaisons any longer.

Penny had taken the initiative to withhold physical relations until he was, in her words, "ready." And, as much as he tried to convince her of his readiness, multiple times a day it seemed, she would just look into his eyes and tell him he wasn't.

One evening, he decided to surprise her. He parked his car in the grass near the base of their driveway, out of sight. He hoped that neither of her parents had plans to go anywhere this late. After a decent walk, he made it to her guest house, and was happy to see the lights still on.

He placed both hands behind his back and knocked with his foot by kicking the door. She opened the door and smiled widely. "Sheldon! What are you doing here?"

"Surprise?" he said meekly.

"A very nice one too."

He pulled one hand from behind his back to show her Dan Brown's new novel. "I brought _Inferno_. I thought we could get started on it tonight."

"Yay!" she clapped.

Then, he removed the other hand, revealing a tub. "And, I brought gelato from that place on Hemlock that you like."

He was sure that if he could capture her smile in that moment and convert it into some positive life-giving force, it would create world peace and cure disease in a matter of minutes.

"Well, don't just stand there! Come on in," she said, before disappearing to the kitchen to get a spoon.

He sat on one side of the couch, and she snuggled up against him, giving him virtually no breathing room. Breathing was overrated, anyway.

She popped the top off the gelato and started to dive in, while he opened the book to the prologue and started to read. Seeing her unassumingly licking the cold confection off the spoon with such precision was distracting to say the least. She was not being intentional about it, he knew, but how could she not realize how tempting she was being?

After reading the prologue and first chapter, he passed the book to her and she handed him the gelato. He ate the treat using the same spoon. It was not exactly hygienically preferable, but all things considered, it wasn't the worst thing in the world.

They continued like this…passing back and forth until the gelato was gone. Penny finished chapter 7, marked the book, and placed it on the coffee table. She rested her head against his shoulder briefly. He placed his hand on her thigh, enjoying the moment.

A bit later, Penny stood and stretched. She turned to him and held out her hand. "Come to bed."

It wasn't an unusual request. They had been chastely sharing a bed most nights since the memorial. But, he wasn't expecting it tonight.

He stood to face her. "Actually, I wasn't planning on staying. I left my car down by the road and…"

"Please stay?" she asked quietly. "I've missed you." She snaked her arms behind his neck.

"Penelope, we talk every day and see each other most days. I hardly see how you can have missed me."

She bore her eyes intently into his. "I meant I've _missed_ you." She looked at him, as if expecting him to catch on to something.

"Well, I always miss you when we are not together but…" he trailed off. The light bulb went on.

_Oh._

* * *

Penny faced the morning sun more contented than she had been in a very long time. "Mmmmmmm." She rolled over and snuggled up to Sheldon, who was sleeping soundly.

She giggled as he let out a loud snore, then she scooted out of bed. She grabbed her robe off the hook in her closet door and slipped on a pair of house slippers. A loud groaning noise came from behind her, and she turned to see her love stirring.

She walked around the bed as he slightly opened his eyes. She leaned down and kissed him, trailing her hand across his midsection. "I'm going to go put a pot of coffee on, okay? I'll be right back."

He grunted his assent. Before she left, he sleepily mumbled to her, "Morning sex?"

She laughed softly. "We'll see. Be right back." She kissed him again and left the room.

She giggled as she traipsed down the hallway into the living area. Clothes were strewn everywhere.

She turned the coffee machine on, but before she could get the coffee grounds out of the cabinet, she heard a loud ding come from her laptop, which was sitting on the kitchen table. She knew it to be her Skype alert.

She sat in the chair, facing her back porch, and popped the laptop open. She accepted the call request and shook her head to see the bright-eyed and bushy-tailed face of her mother.

"Mom," she said in fake exasperation. "_Just_ because you have Skype now and I showed you how to use it doesn't mean you _always_ have to use it. You can call my phone if you need me, you know. Or text me."

Her mother looked back at her. "I _did_ call you. Four times. And you didn't answer. Four times."

"Oh. Oops." She supposed that in that case, it is probably good that her mom opted for Skype rather than come down looking for her. "Sorry, what's up?"

"I just wanted to let you know I baked some chocolate chip muffins if you wanted to come up and get some. And, your dad needs to run down to Plattsmouth to pick up some parts for the tiller. He was hoping you could go with him and you guys can stop at that farm supply store to pick up some supplies."

"Oh, yeah, I don't mind. Is he going…today?"

"Yes, they called and said his parts were there, and they said they would hold them for him, but you know what a nervous Nellie your daddy can be. He wants to go and get them now. Can you be ready by ten?"

* * *

JoAnna McKinnon didn't miss the tiny twitch on her daughter's face. "Yeah, yeah, I can be ready." Penny was always so willing to help. And did so with a smile on her face. This was one of the few times she saw a hint of something on her daughter's face before she agreed. Hesitation? Disappointment?

At precisely that instant, a voice boomed through the computer speakers, coming from Penny's end of the conversation.

"Baby, I know after last night, you probably have to move _very slowly_," the voice sounded particularly proud of themselves. "But, how long can it take to put the coffee on?"

And, just like that, a figure emerged from the hallway behind Penny. She was looking at a very nude Sheldon Cooper.

Her eyes went wide, she gasped, and threw her hand over her mouth. She saw the man jump, look to the ground, and then turn around, tugging some pants onto his body. This only made things worse, as she could now see the brutal, fresh markings on his back. The scratches that her sweet, innocent (or so she thought) Penelope had left upon him, indicating their relations were extremely vigorous.

"Oh my God, Penny," she said, horrified at the wounds on the doctor's back.

* * *

It happened so quickly. She heard Sheldon's voice and then saw her mother's shocked reaction. The loud gasp was like a knife to the chest. She knew that she was going to have a lot of explaining to do, but even she didn't realize how bad it was until she turned around and saw him in all his naked glory.

She buried her head in her hands. "Oh God," she groaned.

"Oh my God, Penny," her mother said, disgusted.

"Listen, Mom, I can explain…"

She heard some loud commotion on her mother's end of the chat, and saw her mom looking off screen.

"Mom?"

Her mother wasn't paying attention to her. Then, she covered her mouth with her hands again, "Oh no."

"Mom, what's going on?"

Jo faced the screen again. "Your father…he was in here and he saw. He went downstairs to get his gun."

At that, her mom got up and rushed off screen. "Wyatt, please!" she heard.

Penny scrambled to get up and ran over to the door to engage the deadbolt. She looked out the window and shrieked when she saw her parents' front door fly open. She turned back to see Sheldon fastening his jeans and disappearing down the hallway, more than likely to get his shirt.

She put her weight against the door and heard her father coming. Not only did she hear his loud footsteps against the porch, but his voice was loud. "Penelope, you open this door this instant!"

"No!"

She felt him charge into the door.

"I'll shoot the lock," he warned. "Let me in, right now."

"Daddy, please, calm down," she begged.

He charged the door again, just as Sheldon returned to the room.

"Daddy, _please!_"

"Don't you 'Daddy please' me!"

"Dad, please put down the gun. Put the gun down and I'll open the door and we can discuss this like adults."

Silence.

She looked out the front window to see him place his shotgun on the ground. He held up his hands in surrender.

She exhaled a small sigh of relief, and then opened the door.

"Okay Dad, I'm really sorry, but can't we talk about this?"

Her father's dark eyes had not moved from the older man standing across the room.

"I don't need my gun," Wyatt said harshly. She gave a small smile of thanks.

Then, he continued. "I don't need my gun, because I can kill him with my bare hands!"

He made to move across the room, but Penny shouted "No!" and dashed in front of him, standing in front of Sheldon, holding her hands out in a protective stance.

She felt his strong hands on her shoulder in an attempt to move her. "Penny, I can't let you do this."

She turned around and faced him, clutching him tightly, keeping her back to her father. He embraced her back. They held each other tightly, as if it was the last minutes of their lives. She looked over her shoulder toward Wyatt.

"If you're going to hurt him, you're going to have to hurt me too!"

* * *

Sheldon looked down into Penny's desperate eyes. She was sobbing profusely, probably terrified. He knew that for the rest of his life, it would be his job, his duty, his honor to protect this woman. He smoothed her hair down and kissed the top of her head.

"Penny, let go," he whispered to her. "We can't hide. Let me face him. We need to talk man to man."

He felt her tentatively pull away from him and stand off to the side.

He stepped forward, looking Wyatt directly in the eyes. He let out a groan when her father's right fist connected with his face.

"Daddy!" she screamed.

His heart broke when he looked to his left, seeing his young girlfriend looking horrified with tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Quiet!" Wyatt yelled. "This is between me and Dr. Cooper. I'll deal with _you_ later."

"No," Sheldon said firmly. "Anything you can say to Penny you _will_ say in front of me."

Wyatt's eyes shot from Penny back to him. He barely had time to prepare himself as her father's hand drew back again, landing this time against his mouth.

Penny rushed forward to her father, begging to reason with him, pleading with him to calm himself. But it did no good, as he shoved her away. At this rate, it would take a miracle for him to get out of there alive.

And then…

"Wyatt!" an authoritative voice called out.

Sheldon looked up to see the critical gaze of Jo McKinnon, who was standing in the doorway. The angry man drew back and softened his stance at the sound of his name coming from his wife's lips. Sheldon closed his eyes and let out a deep, grateful breath.

* * *

Penny and Sheldon sat side by side on the couch. Her parents were standing across from them, arms folded against their chests. She looked up to see the area beneath his eyes starting to bruise, as well as the blood bubbling from his split lower lip. She resisted the urge to reach up and caress his bruise.

She smiled to herself as Sheldon reached over to take her hand. She grasped him back, as they intertwined their fingers together and held on for dear life.

Her father started, of course. "Of all the things…I would never expect this from you, Penelope. Never. I can't even begin to tell you how ashamed I am. But, you're just a girl. _You_," he looked directly at the surgeon, "should have known better. I mean, good _God_, your wife's body's not even cold yet." He looked uncomfortable before adding, "Er, figuratively."

Jo's voice was softer. "Listen, we all grieve in different ways. And, if this is your manner of comfort, that's your business. But, to do it with such a young girl? Dr. Cooper, I expected better of you. And Penny, I really thought your father and I raised you better than this. To respect your body and yourself. I just can't believe you let yourself be taken advantage of like this."

"Mom, you've got it all wrong."

"Actually, Penny, your parents are right. I took advantage of you," he said. "I'm very sorry," he said to her parents.

"Sheldon, no! I believe was _more_ than willing." She heard her mother gasp.

He faced them again. "Don't listen to her; she had nothing to do with this."

"He's lying," she growled. "Everything was completely mutual. In fact, _I_ seduced _him_, really."

Sheldon scoffed. "_You_ seduced _me_? I believe that _I_ was the one that won _you_ over."

"Stop trying to protect me," she ordered.

"Enough!" Wyatt's voice roared out.

Penny saw recognition dawn across her mother's face. "Penelope, how did all this start? Did you feel sorry for him? Did you think you were helping him with his pain?"

She shook her head and took a deep breath. "Mom, Sheldon and I…we've been together for a while."

Wyatt's eyes darkened. "A while like…two weeks, right?"

"No. A while like…_a while_."

"Get out," her dad demanded Sheldon.

"No, I'm not leaving her."

"Good! You can take her with you." He turned to face his daughter. "Listen here, little missy, I want your things out of here by the weekend."

"Wyatt," her mother appealed to her father. "She's still our daughter."

"No, Jo! She's not _my_ daughter. No daughter of _mine_ would have been such a floozy. No daughter of _mine_ is going to carry on this kind of relationship and live on my property. You have until Saturday." Then, he turned to Sheldon. "And, if I ever, _ever_ see you on my property again, I will call the police and press charges for trespassing."

He stormed out the door, leaving the other three people dumbfounded.

At this, the waterworks returned. She heaved as she sucked down her sobs. Sheldon began to tenderly wipe her tears away, murmuring words to her to try to pick up her spirits. "Penny, please, it will be okay, I promise. I know the circumstances aren't ideal, but you're more than welcome to stay with me. In fact, I'd _like_ you to stay with me. Permanently?"

"You mean," she shook, "live together?"

She felt her demeanor calming as his hands stroked her hair. "Well, yeah. I was bound to ask you eventually. I know that ideally you'd have time to think it over and plan, but given the situation, now's as good a time as any."

Penny melted against Sheldon as he put his arm around her protectively. Then, she backed away and scrunched up her nose. "But…the farm. It's all I've ever known. What will I do? How will I be able to support myself?"

"Oh Penny, haven't you heard? I am a _very_ wealthy man," he smiled. She knew that he was not bragging, but rather trying to make her laugh. He was actually incredibly practical financially, and even though his statement _was_ true, he wasn't the type to show off when it came to money. "However, if you do decide to seek employment, I have no doubt that you would have little trouble finding something."

They both turned to see JoAnna watching them with narrowed eyes, seemingly unmoved by the scene unfolding before her.

* * *

JoAnna McKinnon was not impressed with the show of affection. In fact, their clear love for each other only confirmed what she now suspected: that this affair had been going on for a very long time, that her daughter had been lying, sneaking around, and breaking their trust.

At her blank stare, Penny spoke. "Mom, I think if you guys just let us explain, it might help you understand…"

"Understand!?" she shouted. "You expect us to _understand_ that our daughter has been out cavorting for who knows how long with a man _twice_ her age? And not just that, but a _married man_ twice her age?! There is nothing you can say to make this right. Nothing."

"Mom, he loves me. And I love him."

She sputtered in outrage. "Love? Penelope, you don't even know what love is. This is new to you. Your first relationship. Or _is_ it? Maybe you have had all sorts of boyfriends I've never been told about. It's infatuation, pure and simple. And you will outgrow it."

Dr. Cooper piped up. "I don't believe that will be the case, ma'am. But, I love your daughter. I truly love your daughter. And, if I find out that she no longer loves me, or she doesn't want to be with me, or she has found someone else...I will step aside and let her go. I care deeply for her, and have only her best interests at heart."

"Mother, can't you see? He makes me happy," her daughter appealed.

"Will he make you happy when you are a widow at 35? Will you be happy when you have to spoon feed him and change his bedpan? Will you be happy when you are constantly correcting people who assume your kids' Daddy is Grandpa? And how happy will you be when your kids are left without a father before they graduate from high school, maybe even before they hit their teens?"

As she expected, Penny bravely lifted her chin and stared right back at her without flinching. Her daughter had always been fiercely loyal to those she cared about.

The doctor's expression, however, wavered. There was a miniscule twitch of his mouth, and Jo had a feeling that she had shaken him.

"Mrs. McKinnon, I understand that our relationship is not traditional, but I assure you that we will discuss the future at an appropriate time and…" his voice was trembling.

"No Sheldon," Penny interrupted while glaring at her. "Don't let her get to you. I love you. We're good together. We're happy together. That's enough for me."

Jo took a breath. "Penelope, I am your mother, and I will always love you and support you. That doesn't mean I agree with the choices you've made. And, that doesn't mean I won't try to stop you from making a mistake. Dr. Cooper, I don't know what you did to brainwash her, but I beg you, as a mother…parent to parent, please let her go. Stop it before it goes too far."

Penny's eyes went wide at the word "brainwash." She let out a sigh of disgust. Her mother's mind was blown when her sweet daughter dove at the dark-and-gray headed man, planting a very explicit, passionate kiss on him. She noticed that his hands immediately went to her daughter's waist, in such a natural fashion. Just when she thought her girl would pull away, she went back at him with more ferocity than before, as if trying to breathe life into him…or suck life out of him, one or the other.

She felt bile rise up in her throat when she heard a very suggestive moan come in the form of a female voice from the pair. She wanted to turn away, but at that point, the two finally split apart, red-faced and very into each other. Penny stood and holding Sheldon's hand, pulled him up with her.

"Mother, if you will excuse us, we have some _packing_ to be doing," the blonde raised an eyebrow at her, one that gave her the impression the kind of "packing" they would be doing when she left.

She shook her head to indicate her disappointment. "Okay then," she said before walking out the door.

* * *

Penny settled in to Sheldon's house seamlessly. To start out, they agreed that Sheldon would keep the master, and she moved her stuff into one of the guest rooms. They had re-arranged the furniture in the master bedroom, as well as replaced the bedding and curtains, just to make things feel a little less weird. While they had separate rooms, they spent most nights together in one of their beds, usually his due to its being conveniently on the first floor.

Before moving in, she had not once in her life skinny-dipped. Now, she did it all the time, whether Sheldon was there or not. She enjoyed the freedom of it, the smoothness of the water against her skin. She felt like a graceful animal, like a fish…being one with nature, or at least one with the in-ground pool. And, when she happened to be in there when he got home from a long day at the hospital? That worked too.

She threw herself into the role of homemaker with ease. She did so with the same ability and commitment she had when she worked on the farm. She cooked and cleaned. She ran errands. If she was feeling _particularly_ productive, she would surprise him by baking him a delicious dessert.

She was pulling a chocolate soufflé out of the oven when she heard a door open and shut. "Hey honey!" she shouted.

She was dumbfounded when sauntering into the kitchen came Michael Cooper. "Hey, _dear_," he grinned cheekily.

"Oh, um, I was actually talking to the soufflé. I tend to converse with the food I make." She continued the act, by baby talking the dish. "Hey there, sweetie. Who's a good little soufflé? Well, aren't you a pretty little thing? I'll just set you over here and let you cool."

She couldn't tell if Michael bought it or not, but as he turned his back, looking around the home, she let out a sigh of relief. "Is my dad home?"

"No, he's at work," she replied. "Actually, you are probably wondering why I am here." She laughed nervously. "My parents and I had a falling out of sorts. I had nowhere to go, nothing to do. Your father took me in, and I'm sort of his housekeeper for the time being, until I can get back on my feet. I moved into your old room upstairs."

She recited their cover story the best she could. He nodded along. "My dad told me all about it," he assured her.

"Oh. Well, good."

"Sooooo…"

"Would you like to have a seat and catch up?" she motioned to the couch before untying the apron from her waist. He sat, and she settled in across from him. He seemed happy.

"Penny," he said in a voice that she interpreted to mean something major was coming. She readied herself for a grand declaration of love or for him to tell her that T.J. told him everything.

"Yes?" she said, as casually as she possibly could.

"You should know that I came by the other day."

"Oh? I don't remember seeing you?"

"That's because…I left. I came by to talk to Dad, and the house seemed empty. I checked the garage, and both cars were there. Plus, yours was out in the driveway."

"Which day was this again? I spent one day cleaning up the attic, and perhaps…"

"It was Tuesday," he said, and her heart fell.

"Anyway, I looked everywhere. Well, not in the attic, but mostly everywhere. So, I decided to check the last possible place anyone could be, the back yard."

"Oh."

"Care to guess what I spied in the swimming pool?"

"Oh God," she groaned, putting her face in her hands. She was going to be sick. "How much did you see?"

"Not much at all." She looked up, confused. He didn't seem all that upset, either. What exactly _was_ he talking about?

"I got here just in time to see Dad's big finale," he smirked at her. "And your reaction to it."

"Oh God," she said for the second time. Yes, she was most definitely going to be sick. "Listen, Michael, about that…"

He held his hands up to stop her. "Penny, Penny…don't worry about it. Don't get me wrong, I would prefer not to see that ever again." He looked like he wanted to gouge out his eyes. "But, you are both consenting adults."

"I'm _really_ sorry."

"Don't be. I am actually seeing someone again. She's my roommate's sister, and I think you'd really like her."

"That's great! I'd love to meet her sometime."

"Yeah. Besides, aside from the accident, I'm not sure I've ever seen my dad so happy. He seems younger. When I talked to him on the phone, I could tell he was almost…cheerful. Whatever it is, you make him happy. I'm okay with that."

She gave him a small smile. "Thank you. I know it's complicated, but he makes me happy too. But, you should know, we've been seeing each other for quite a while. Before you and me were together, actually."

"Really? Wow."

"But, you have to understand, when your dad set us up, he _genuinely_ thought we would be good together, and he wanted what was best for you. You really were a great boyfriend to me most of the time. It's just…my heart wasn't in it. It wasn't fair to you."

"I didn't realize it went back that far. But, after Tuesday, I put two and two together and realized that it was probably pretty serious."

"Michael, your father is a good man. His marriage to Lana…things just weren't exactly as they seemed. He's not the type of person that is unfaithful to his wife just for the fun of it. We're in love with each other."

He nodded. "I always knew that things between Lana and Dad weren't exactly conventional. I'm not an idiot. Honestly, I always kind of assumed that Lana was a lesbian, and Dad was her beard, or whatever the male equivalent is."

"Really?"

"Yeah, I figured they got married for the perks. Or, at the very least, she was bi, and she was banging someone else on the side."

"I really don't think that was it. I mean, you are right about the perks part, but I'm pretty sure you have the whole lesbian angle all wrong."

"Probably."

"Actually, would you like to stay for dinner. Sheldon should be home soon, and then he can tell you everything, from the beginning. I'm sure he will be thrilled to have this conversation with you. It's been a long time coming, huh?"

"It has. And, yeah, I'd like that. Anything I can do to help?"

"Well, I'm afraid I'm done cooking, but you can help set the table and get the food set out once he gets here."

"Hey, Pen?"

"Yes?"

He cleared his throat and blushed a bit. "Tuesday? You seemed rather over-the-top with your, um, peak. Were you, you know, just for his benefit?"

She grinned and shook her head. "I promise you, your daddy knows exactly what he's doing, and the pleasure he brings me is _all_ real."

"Oh man, I shouldn't have asked."

"Probably not. You probably shouldn't stay the night over here either, even if you are here late or your roomie kicks you out or for any other reason."

"Why not?"

"Well, you should know your father and I are very active in the bedroom. And, now that you know, I don't have to hold back. And, I can be _very_ loud." She raised an eyebrow at him.

"And, we're done with this conversation."

"Agreed."

* * *

Anatoly Folenkov sat behind a desk in a dark room, staring across at a wall covered by numerous flat screen monitors. Most of the monitors showed nothing except for empty rooms. Two monitors showed activity. In one, a tired Dr. Sheldon Cooper was driving in his car, just around the corner from his home. In the other, Penelope McKinnon and said doctor's son were laughing over a pitcher of sweet tea.

In order to see anything on the televisions, he had to look past the silhouette of two other people, holding each other in a tight embrace. And then, the shorter one turned to the other and fused their lips together in a passionate kiss.


	28. Leleyal

_Reviews are hugs. Unless you hate it, then they are slaps._

_I will take them either way. Mwah!_

* * *

Anatoly watched as his daughter, Alyoma kissed her companion, Svetlana. Svetlana was American, but had traveled to Russia a number of years ago, where the three of them met. She had adopted the surname Koratkin while living in Russia. In America, she was simply known by Lana.

She was born Lana Cartwright, and officially changed her name to Svetlana Koratkin when she became a Russian citizen. When the three of them moved to the United States, due to Americans' complete lack of competence, she was able to go back to her old hometown as "Lana Cartwright" with little trouble.

Anatoly recalled the nearly 15 years ago when Alyoma brought home a new American friend. He was less than thrilled when he found out that their friendship had escalated into a physical bond. Alyoma insisted that she was only experimenting with her sexuality and not to worry. She would produce him the grandchildren he so desperately craved.

And she did. She married a nice Russian boy and had two beautiful children with him. However, as time went by, it became clear to Anatoly that the marriage and children were merely a ruse, or more for his desire than for her own. Her heart was set on the American woman.

This was when his plan all started. His dochka was a very well-respected neuroscientist, and he knew that her help on the project would be invaluable, even if she didn't know his true motives. He himself was one of Russia's top chemists. He had been working on a prototype for the better part of four decades, but funding was out of the question. It was much too dangerous, too much like playing God for investors to get on board right away. As it turned out, Alyoma's partner was a very wealthy woman, but in order to get her inheritance, she would have to move back to the States.

The decision was then made to move his entire family to the U.S. The time to put his plan into motion had come. He was able to convince Svetlana that her investment would yield profits the likes of which had never been seen before.

They moved to an unassuming town called Norfolk, Nebraska, near her home city of Omaha and set up shop. And his daughter, known to all of them as Alyoma Feodora Folenkov, became Mabel.

...

The official name was Leleyal, loosely translated from Russian to English to mean "cherished." For those in on the project, it was known as the Love Drug.

Anatoly had been conceptualizing the project for many years. He had no doubt that it would be wildly successful. In basic terms, a drug with a one of its kind makeup would be split into a pair of button-like discs. These discs would then be implanted into a pair of people, creating the sensation of being in love. Yes, it was a bit risky. It was playing with people's emotions. The side effects would have to be investigated intensively.

On the other hand, it could create love and relationships for people who may never experience it otherwise. Perhaps not good looking enough or too shy. There was significant concern over the idea of non-consent. But, Anatoly was committed to making sure that the effects did not wear off and that anyone under the effect of the drug would experience complete contentment with their life and partner. He could not deny that the financial possibilities were intriguing, but in his mind, he was a benefactor, bringing such a sought after commodity– love– to the masses.

The drug was far too expensive, the research too sketchy to have a control group. Mabel assured him that while the human mind was much too complex to predict anything, it was prone to creating its own realities. By knowing that one was under the effect of the drug, one would intentionally start to behave as if _under_ the effect of said drug.

So he, Mabel, and Lana had made the long and hard decision to test their prototype on unknowing people. At first, not wanting to mess with nature, they tried it on people with an already existing inclination for each other. While the results were positive as all the pairs ended up in romantic relationships, it was not conclusive. These same pairs may have ended up together anyway.

The next step was to try a sample of people from different groups: same sex, teenagers, the elderly, a tall woman with a short man, and so on and so forth. The only line they didn't cross was with a married person. Anatoly had far too much respect for his beloved Marija, his wife of 45 years, to ever imagine crossing that sort of line.

Mabel had talked him into it, though. She had convinced him that without knowing the outcome of the drug on a person who was unavailable, it would be impossible to know exactly_ how_ dangerous the drug could be. Plus, they had built in a termination sequence for a reason.

So, against his better judgment, he agreed to the experiment. But, he insisted that the married party not be in love with their spouse. He did not want to break apart an existing marriage. He just couldn't. They still had one final group to test: two people of extremely varying ages. They decided to kill two birds with one stone.

* * *

The former Lana Cooper was on the prowl for the final piece to their experiment when she met her future husband. She had gone door to door, under the guise of introducing herself to the people in her new neighborhood when really, she was trying to find someone for the drug trial. She couldn't have dreamed up a better participant.

Sheldon was everything they were wanting in a married party. He was a handsome man, but he was old enough that in a few years, they could pair him with a girl in her early 20's or maybe even late teens, and it would satisfy the age contingent portion of the experiment. He was stand-offish. He seemed to like being a bachelor. He could have been asexual for all they knew. He also seemed very practical: practical enough to get married for all the wrong reasons.

She didn't feel so guilty about roping him into a loveless marriage. And, she knew that it would ease Anatoly's mind to know they were not destroying someone's future.

She developed a friendship with him, and the rest, as they say, is history.

...

They had to wait until after they were married to implement anything. And, they would have to wait a while, too. If they started it too soon, and he strayed, it would be too easy to write it off as typical of a new bachelor-turned-husband. No, they would have to establish a rapport. It would take a couple of years, maybe more, to make sure that while the doctor may lack love, he was still loyal to the marriage and to her. Once they knew that his respect and loyalty were unwavering, they would begin.

The next step was finding the girl. They wanted someone young. Anatoly, being a doting father of a daughter himself, was very protective of their choice. He was holding out for just the right girl, ideally someone much like the doctor, meaning uninterested in romance. Lana and Mabel presented him with a number of candidates over a number of months, but none worked for him.

Finally, one day while seeing a performance at the theater downtown, she noticed a girl. She had seen the girl before, but that day she was seeing her in a while new light. The girl's mother was an old acquaintance of hers. She was an only child. She would have to leave that part out with Anatoly. She knew that would disqualify her. She had a good feeling about this one, though, so she discreetly snapped some photos with her cell phone and sent them off.

Nearly nine years after the marriage, almost twice as long as they had planned, Anatoly agreed on the hearty blonde with the green eyes. It took months to design the drug and coordinate efforts. They had to bug rooms and install hidden cameras. Anatoly and Mabel had dressed up as cable men, delivery people, cops, and a number of other things in order to get everything situated at the McKinnon household. Lana took care of their home as well as at the theater. It was the same process that they had used in all the other tests, and yet this one felt different. There was more riding on it.

Lana swallowed her nerves as she applied the drug to the base of her husband's neck one evening while he slept. The disk itself was tiny, and he would feel nothing more than a prick. Within 60 seconds, his skin would consume the drug, and then its effects would periodically dissolve into the blood stream. Applying the other half of the drug would prove more difficult.

As it turned out, it wasn't as difficult as she thought. One evening, while at the symphony, she sat behind the blonde and her family. She placed the drug to the neck, and then was easily able to play it off like she was removing a piece of dirt or a bug. The girl and the people around them were none the wiser.

That night, Anatoly hit the activation sequence.

* * *

He didn't flinch as he watched his daughter and Svetlana kissing passionately. Sadly, Alyoma's husband had passed. And, with Svetlana out of a long marriage, they could no longer deny their affections for one another.

He was concerned that they were going to take each other right here in front of him, so he cleared his throat loudly. They jumped apart.

"Sorry," Alyoma said timidly.

"It is nothing, my dochka," he said. "But, our job is not over yet, is it? We must continue to analyze."

"Father, it seems to me that after all these years of preparing this experiment, we failed to consider one very key variable."

"What is it, my dear?"

"Love."

He laughed. "Love? That is the whole purpose. Not the key variable. The _only_ variable."

"Yes, yes, of course. But, you devised this experiment because you wanted to see how this drug would affect someone in a committed relationship, in this case marriage."

"Yes."

"But, what it won't show you is how it affects someone in a committed relationship who feels actual love for his partner."

"The Dr. Cooper felt love for Miss Svetlana. It was platonic and borne out of respect and admiration, but it was love nonetheless."

"But, the platonic love isn't going to help us with our experiment."

"I do not see why not. Admiration, loyalty, respect…these are important things, no? I consider them more important than sexual compatibility and attraction."

"But they are not love."

"Perhaps not. But, if you look at two people in love...you will see trust and devotion and respect. Dr. Cooper had these things. It will be as close to love as we will be able to replicate."

"But, they are not love. Can you honestly say that what you feel for mama and what Dr. Cooper felt for Svetlana are equal?"

Anatoly knew he could not answer that.

"Your love for mama is stronger. It would be more resistant, fight harder."

"You are wise beyond your years, my child."

"What now?" Lana interjected.

"Well, once our analysis is complete, we shall move back to Russia."

"I mean for Sheldon and Penelope?"

"It is a simple process, really. Just as there is an activation sequence, there is also a _de_activation sequence. Once we are done, I will terminate the bond. The drug will detach from the body and be absorbed through the bloodstream until it is eventually passed during a bowel movement."

"And then?" He was perplexed by how invested the blonde was in the situation.

"And then it will be as if nothing happened. They will go back to being two separate people with two separate interests."

"They will no longer love each other?" Alyoma asked.

"No, they will not."

"Will they remember anything?" Svetlana asked.

"Yes, it will be as with any other relationship. They will have their memories quite clearly. Within a few days, they will just fall out of love with each other."

Svetlana frowned. "It won't affect them emotionally? Especially the girl?"

"No more than any other failed relationship, no. The girl should be fine. And Dr. Cooper too, for that matter."

"Oh, I know Dr. Cooper will be fine. But, Penelope…she was _my_ choice, and the idea that I may have ruined a future for her, a future with a husband or family…it's hard to think about."

"She is young," Alyoma said soothingly. "She has plenty of time to settle down."

"Yes, she is young, but what if it takes years for her to be ready to love again? What if she is _never_ able to trust again?" her voice cracked. "Dr. Cooper was her first love, her first relationship, her first everything. This…this dissolution may affect her more than most."

Anatoly spoke to the woman he had come to love as his own. "Dochka, I truly believe she will be fine. I would not have agreed to use her if I didn't think she would be strong enough."

"If it takes her too long to overcome this split, it could be too late." Svetlana looked at the monitors sadly and focused on the one with three people sitting at the dinner table that was once hers. They were talking and laughing. "The girl…she wants children."


	29. Ticking Timebomb

_Hello all my lovely fans and followers...I hope this update finds you well. Long time coming, but I have been rather busy. I hope you all have been waiting on pins and needles for the update and that you enjoy it. _

_Just forewarning. Parts of this drift toward the M-ish area. I have definitely seen worse in T fics before, but it's probably hovering over that gray area, so once you get to it, and trust me, you'll know you're there...you can skip ahead a little bit. _

* * *

Anatoly, Svetlana, and Alyoma stared at the wall of monitors in front of them. On each side, there were two screens, depicting the bodies of both Sheldon and Penny. They were not exact cone beams, but a replica. On each one, there was a blinking red dot at the base of the neck.

"It will work, Father?"

"Yes, my dear, it will."

Anatoly punched in a sequence of numbers into his handheld keypad device. On the screen, they saw both red dots detonate, with tinier red particles drifting away into their bodies.

Within 48 hours, the disks would be no more, dissolved completely into their blood stream, and eventually expelled out of the body.

And not long after, the romance of Penelope McKinnon and Sheldon Cooper would also dissolve, becoming nothing more than a blip in their memories.

* * *

Sheldon and Penny were out having dinner with Michael and his new girlfriend, Caty. He could not have been more surprised, or thrilled, at his son's reaction to their relationship. He knew that the world would likely never believe in their love or accept it. And while, he was unequivocally in love with the girl, and would stop at nothing to be with her no matter what anyone said, having his son's blessing truly meant a lot.

He felt guilty and a little sad at Penny's predicament. Choosing to be with him had essentially estranged her from the only immediate family she had. He wanted to try to work things out with her parents, face-to-face, like adults, but remembered her father's warning. He remembered her father's shotgun more.

While waiting for the meal to arrive, Michael and Caty regaled them with the stories of how they met and got together. Sheldon held Penny's hand gently below the table. He knew they weren't fooling anyone with their hidden hands, but it still seemed sweeter to keep their affections private.

"My brother's buddy Deno called me one night, completely drunk out of his noggin, and he was talking nonsense. He said something about my brother being in trouble. Well, naturally, it worried me, and I just had to see for myself that everything was okay. I mean, in _my_ mind, I was pretty sure Deno was just spitting a bunch of silly jibber jabber, but there was this tiny feeling nagging me in the back of my mind that I should go check up on him."

"Of course," Penny agreed.

"When I got to place, the door was locked and most of the lights were off. So, I knocked on the door. No answer."

"Now, Dad, if you knocked on a door and no one answered, what would your response be?" Mike prodded.

"Tut, tut, tut," Caty shushed the younger man. "Anyway, all these scenarios started running through my head. I started to freak out. Had they gone to the hospital? Were they all in there dead? So, I started pounding on the door harder, mostly out of being terrified. And, this handsome boy answered, sleep in his eyes, hair every which way, and a trail of drool hanging off his lip."

"Oh geez," his son buried his face in his hands.

"I was smitten at first sight."

"Who wouldn't be?" Penny grinned.

"As it turns out, my brother was at Deno's, and he was fine. Of course, after meeting Mikey, my concern for my brother kind of vanished."

"I had a big meeting at work the next day, the Riley case, so I was trying to get a good night's sleep. When I heard the commotion, I thought to myself, 'So help me God…' I was prepared to give whoever was at the door a good tongue lashing…"

"I did get the tongue lashing…eventually," the girl giggled.

Michael turned beet red and continued. "Then, when I opened the door, my mind went blank. I was trying to figure out if I was sleepwalking or having a dream or what was going on. She explained who she was and what was going on. I tried calling Steve, but couldn't get through. I offered to let her stay until he got home, explained it could be the next morning, and she agreed to wait. I didn't really know where this Deno lived, so I couldn't give her directions."

"Well, look at the guy. Of course I agreed to wait."

"Then you stayed up all night talking?" Penny asked hopefully.

"Nope, then I went back to bed."

"Michael!"

"I was tired. I had a big morning ahead of me," he shrugged. "Anyway, I woke up the next morning to the best breakfast I ever saw. Caty owns a bakery, and she has mad skills in the kitchen. She made me some breakfast…I thought it was as a 'thank you,' but I guess it was to get me interested."

"And it worked?"

"Eh, sorta. I was appreciative of the gesture. It wasn't until got home and I saw her belly up to Steve and give him the what for that I really took notice."

"You own a bakery?" Penny asked.

"Really?" his son quirked an eyebrow at her. "_That's_ what you took from that whole story."

"I'm a girl. I like pastries. Deal with it."

Michael gave him a look that meant…_women._

"Is it like cakes and cupcakes type of bakery or like breads and rolls or?"

"A little bit of everything actually."

"Well, if you ever need help, I actually do quite a bit of baking myself. I'm sure I'm not even close to your skills, but I can handle myself with a whisk. Right honey? Remember that chocolate cream pie from the other day? Honey?"

_Did he ever._

Actually, what he remembered quite distinctly were the more…recreational…aspects of that pie.

His girlfriend stared at the couple across from her, smile plastered on her face. "Tell them honey."

His mind was wandering, and so were his eyes.

"Sheldon?"

"Hmm?"

"The pie?"

"Great."

Penny finally looked over at him, and a flush crept from the base of her neck all the way up to her ears, as she caught him roaming his eyes over her torso in an almost leering manner.

"Sheldon!" she whispered in admonishment.

He snapped out of his dream, back to reality. "Sorry," he mumbled. "The pie was…wonderful."

Caty giggled. "Well, I'm not really looking for anyone right now, sorry. But, I _am_ a bit of a workaholic, and it might do me some good to have someone to put the place in their hands if I have other plans." She looked meaningfully at Michael. "I'll think about it. Once I start to relinquish control, you'll be the first person I call."

"Great!" the blonde's eyes lit up.

"Speaking of the Riley case…" Michael began to talk, and he and his son and Caty and Penny divided into their own conversations. A lull broke in the talking just in time for Sheldon to catch an inquiry from Caty.

"So, what is the sex like?"

Michael cleared his throat. "Cate…not here."

"Oh come on, Mikey, it's not like you haven't walked in on them before."

Sheldon's eyes went wide as he nearly knocked over his drink. "Walked in on us?"

"You didn't tell him?" His son directed at Penny.

"Clearly not," she bit back. "Shelly, it's nothing, really. One day, when we were out in the pool, he came to visit, and he may have caught us in the middle of…"

"Making love?" he finished her sentence, and she nodded.

Michael sputtered. "You call that making love? To me, it looked like good old-fashioned f-"

"Michael!" Caty interrupted sharply. "So, it's pretty good then?"

At that moment, before Penny could answer, the waiter came with their food.

"Oh thank God," Mike let out a sigh of relief at the distraction.

Sheldon put together his burger, topping it with cheese, bacon, and barbecue sauce in that order, while his date cut into her steak.

"Mmmmmm," she moaned in pleasure next to him. "You know what is so great about this steak. It's _aged_ perfectly."

His eyes snapped forward, nearly certain he knew where she was going with this.

She took another bite, as she stared across the table at Caty. "It's the _best_ steak I've _ever_ had, soooo good."

His cheeks prickled from the heat. He was proud, even if he was the _only_ –ahem–_ steak_ she had ever had.

He looked across the table to his son's eyes firmly on his ex. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her head roll back, as she let out another contented noise.

"So filling, too," she said cheekily. "I have no doubt this steak will leave me nothing but satisfied."

"Okay, are we done with this now?" his son asked impatiently.

Penny just grinned.

"Caty, the sex is incredible." She turned to Michael. "_Now_, we're done."

His son rolled his eyes and shook his head.

...

After the meal, Penny excused herself to the ladies room. Sheldon took a breath. He had something he needed to discuss with Michael first. And having Caty present to give a woman's opinion was even better.

* * *

The four stood outside the restaurant preparing to part ways.

"It was great to meet you," Penny said genuinely to Caty.

"Yes, I hope to see more of you. Just think, you might be my mother-in-law someday!"

Penny chuckled softly at the look on Michael's face. He wasn't sure if it was the idea of having_ her_ as his step-mother that freaked him out, or the idea that Caty was mentioning marriage so early and so casually. A bit of both, probably.

A bit of small talk later found Caty rambling on. "I've always wondered what it would be like with an older man…I mean, a part of me wonders if they are just so experienced that they know exactly what to do? Or is it too weird? I guess I look at it both ways. But, I'm glad that it works for _you_, though. What's it even like? I cannot imagine even _kissing_ an older guy…I mean obviously, I can imagine it. I have before at least…but, are their lips scaly? Or are they amazing kissers? I bet they are amazing kissers…it's always the people you least expect that are the best in bed, ya know?"

She exchanged an amused look with Sheldon, as the girl went on and on. They had a silent conversation with their eyes. She knew what he was thinking, and she trusted him completely. She nodded her assent.

"Caty?!" Sheldon stopped her.

"What?" the baker looked up.

"Penelope and I really must be going. It was nice seeing you again."

Penny watched as he shook his son's hand. Then, as she had agreed to, he leaned down and placed his gorgeous lips to Caty's in an innocent and yet languid kiss. He pulled away and gave the woman a boyish grin.

"Now you know." He lifted his brows accordingly, before returning to her side and grabbing her hand.

Penny could practically see Caty's legs go to jelly. "Whoa," the girl spoke.

"Hey!" Michael was furious. "Dad, you can't just kiss my girlfriend like that!"

"Why? You kissed_ my_ girlfriend, did you not?" Penny felt Sheldon wrap his arm around her waist protectively.

Caty's eyes were as huge as saucers. "What!? You and…_Penny_?!"

"Dear, it's a long story. We'll talk about this in the car," Michael tried to reason with her.

"Yes, we will."

The couples parted shortly thereafter.

...

Penny sat in the passenger seat, scowling, with her arms folded.

Sheldon was a little too perky for her liking.

"I thought that went really well," he said while driving.

"I agree, just like I agreed the other six times you said it."

She saw him looking at her, but didn't want to give him the satisfaction of meeting his eyes.

"What's got you all cranky?" he asked.

"Gee, I don't know. Take a wild guess."

"Penelope, you nodded. I thought you were okay with my little demonstration. I thought you wanted to give her a little taste of what you are so lucky to have all the time? Did I get my signals wrong?"

"Yes, I was okay with you kissing her. Not full on making out. God, I about had the pry your tongue away with a crowbar."

"There was no tongue," he snapped back. "And you_ know_ it."

"Because Michael and I were_ right there,_" she growled. "Who knows if we weren't there what would have…"

"No!" he yelled. "Don't you dare question my loyalty to you."

"You can't blame me, can you?"

"What's_ that_ supposed to mean?"

"Your track record with fidelity is not exactly impressive." It was out of her mouth before she could consider her words. She regretted them immediately.

"So…you don't trust me," he said, not as a question, but a statement.

"Let's just go home and get to bed," she replied, looking out the window. "We'll talk tomorrow."

...

Both exhausted as they walked in the door, Sheldon disappeared down the hallway, as Penny started to put some blankets on the couch.

"What are you doing?" he asked, emerging back into the great room.

She sighed. "Don't you remember? The bed in my room and the guest room are getting new mattresses delivered next week. Salvation Army came and hauled away the old ones yesterday while you were at work."

He followed her talk, but didn't seem to make a connection.

"I'm sleeping on the couch," she said plainly.

"Penelope," he groaned at her. "Why must you be so difficult?"

"I don't see how sleeping on the couch is 'difficult'?"

"Just…come to bed with me," he motioned.

She stared directly at him. "No."

He rolled his eyes. "Fine._ I'll_ take the couch."

"Sheldon, you're being silly. I'll be fine."

The truth was she _wanted_ to sleep on the couch. She knew it would affect him more than taking the couch himself. He would feel guilt, remorse, regret.

"I just need to get an extra pillow," she walked toward the bedroom, not able to resist giving her hips a little extra wiggle.

She got to the bedroom and was pulling a pillow off the bed when she heard the door slam behind her and jumped.

She turned to face Sheldon and was overwhelmed by the unresolved emotion in his eyes. The door slamming had unnerved her a bit, but she wasn't –she could _never_ be– fearful of him.

He walked over to the end of the bed and sat on the edge, and she followed.

"I don't want to fight," he said quietly.

"I don't want to fight either."

"I'm so sorry. I'm sorry I raised my voice to you."

"Me too."

"And, I'm sorry I let my mouth linger a bit too long against someone else's lips. It will never happen again."

"Thank you."

"But, Penny?"

"Yes?"

"You know I love you, _only_ you."

She nodded. "Of course I do."

"And I would never betray you."

"I know."

"Then, what was all that about?" He seemed confused.

"I…I don't know!" She really didn't. "One minute, I was amused with the whole thing; the next I was angry. I can't really explain it. I had all these crazy thoughts in my head of you leaving me and wanting to be with someone else."

"Well, you were right about part of it." She looked up at him, making eye contact. "Those thoughts _were_ crazy." She exhaled.

She leaned forward and kissed him gently. "I know. I don't know what came over me. I'm sorry for my behavior. And what I said was way out of line."

She stood to leave, and he frowned. "Where are you going?"

"I'm going to bed. Well, to the couch," she elaborated.

"But…"

"I know, honey. Me too. But, it won't kill us to spend one night apart. I just need some time to myself. So do you. I'll see you at breakfast tomorrow." She leaned down to give him a promising kiss, and then turned on her heels to go.

* * *

Sheldon had a vision flash before his eyes. It was a vision and a feeling he had never experienced before. It had only happened in movies or in his imagination. But, watching her go, he had a gut instinct. And he ran with it.

He stalked aggressively across the room with only one thought in mind.

* * *

Penny let out a gasp as she felt herself pushed up against the door roughly. One arm went around her waist possessively, and the other forearm was held against her back, pushing her into the door. Her chin trembled.

Then, she heard him attempting to coax her back to bed. "I said I was sorry." Goosebumps popped up all over her skin at the timbre of his voice in her ear and the heat of his breath against her neck.

She partially turned her head, but not completely. "I know. And I forgive you. Please let me go."

"Miss McKinnon," his voice said melodically as her knees buckled. "It seems to me you have forgotten the most important part of the process of…making up."

She felt ashamed at how her body reacted to his words, to the feel of his body pushed up against hers. Her arousal was directly countering the logic that her brain was trying to put forward.

"No, Shel. We'll make up. Just…not tonight."

The lips that were near her ear now kissed up and down her neck sensually, certainly not helping her resolve. "Yes tonight," he replied. "Come to bed."

Her breath shuddered. She slapped has hands away half-heartedly, as he reached under her skirt and tugged down her pink and white striped panties. Despite her protest, she stepped out of them dutifully.

His hand went back around her waist, and he resumed kissing her neck, biting gently her most sensitive areas.

"No," she huffed, holding on to her last strand of self-control "No bed tonight."

"Mmmmm," he moaned. "Even better. I will take you right here. It will be so _easy_."

And just like that, she was gone. Her body was ready, beyond ready really. She was dripping, quite literally, with desire. She sucked in a breath of air and nodded.

"Yes?" he asked.

She nodded.

"Yes, what?"

"I…I want you. Right here."

"You want me to take you? Just like this? From behind?"

She nodded again, unable to speak. She could feel him behind her, removing his clothing.

His fingers teased her thighs beneath her skirt, which he hiked up slightly. "Shall we prepare?"

"No!" she yelled, almost begging.

"Something wrong, my dear?" he ran his fingers up and down her cheek seductively.

Her breath was ragged. "Need you…please…soon…now."

She placed her forearms against the door and braced herself.

Sheldon didn't acknowledge her gasping sobs. They were out of pleasure, but he didn't know that…or did he? Either way, it would have been nice to know he cared.

When they were through, he leaned down, picked up her panties, and placed the wadded up undergarment in her hand. There was no gentle kiss. There was no sweet touch. "You can come to bed with me, and I will hold you the rest of the night," he said. "Or, you can leave."

His tone was harsh, and it broke her heart.

Perplexed by the strange turn of events, she turned the handle of the door, before his voice stopped her.

"Penny?"

She turned to face him for the first time since being shoved against the door. He kissed her devotedly, his lips conveying all the words that needed to be said. "I love you," he whispered.

"I love you too," her eyes searched his for some sort of understanding.

"Thank you for letting me _do_ that, _be_ that. I…I don't know what happened, my primal instinct kicked in and well…"

"It's okay," she breathed.

"It says a lot that I trusted you implicitly enough to do that with you. It says even more that you trusted me through the whole ordeal."

She stepped into his embrace. "I think I would like to keep you," he said with affection, stroking her hair and breathing in their mingled scent.

* * *

Sheldon dialed the numbers nervously from his office at the hospital. The last few days with Penny had been strange. They had fought more than they ever had before. Their passion for each other also grew. He chalked it up to the newness of two people learning to live together. But, he knew that wasn't it. He had lived with Kathy and Lana and never experienced such unevenness of emotion.

When they made love, she was very much a woman. But, the rest of the time, it seemed like he was almost living with…a daughter. He put up with emotional outbursts, doors slamming, and eye rolling. He walked on eggshells around her, not wanting to set her off. Was he with the woman of his dreams or an immature teenager? It was hard to tell sometimes.

Ultimately, though, he loved her. Which made this phone call all the more difficult and all the more necessary.

He put the phone to his ear, hearing it ring three times before being picked up.

"Hello?" a gruff voice came at the other end.

"Mr. McKinnon?"

"Yes?" the man's voice softened.

"This is Dr. Cooper."

The concern was evident through the phone. "Oh God, is it Penny? Is she okay?"

"Yes, yes, Penny is fine," he assured. "This call is of a more personal nature."

"I have nothing personal to discuss with you, Doctor. Goodbye."

"I intend on asking your daughter to marry me," he blurted out. He held his breath, and noticed that the man on the other end hadn't hung up yet.

"You are, are ya?"

"Yes, sir."

"So, _now_ you are deciding to be traditional? Your whole relationship has been blasphemous, and now you want to be traditional, callin' and asking me for permission to marry my daughter? The answer is no."

"No sir."

"No what?"

"I am not calling for your permission. I will ask her to marry me either way. I would ask for your blessing, though. For Penny's sake."

"Not gonna happen."

"It occurs to me that after I propose marriage and after she accepts,_ and she_ _will_," he said pointedly, "she will have no one to share her joy with. No one to call and tell of her happiness. She won't have a mother to shop for a wedding dress with. She won't be able to enjoy her wedding and all leading up to it, because it will only be a reminder of what she has lost."

"That was her choice."

"Please, I urge you, at least let your wife speak to her again. A woman, especially a betrothed one, needs her mother. And I suspect your wife would be very much devastated to miss out on such an important occasion."

Sheldon had played just the right cards, and he knew it.

"I'll think about it."

The line went dead, but a smile of victory graced Sheldon Cooper's lips.

* * *

Penny was lounging by the pool when the house phone rang. She grabbed the handset that she brought out with her and answered.

"Hello?"

"Penny?"

"Yes?"

"This is Caty."

"Hello, Caty! How are you?"

"Just great! Hey, are you still interested in working for me?"

Penny sat up. "Yeah, I mean sure!"

"Could you come in for an interview this evening? I know it's short notice."

"Yes, I can. Sheldon has to work late, so I don't have any plans. What time?"

"Does 7:45 work for you?"

"Sure does. What's the address?"

"1820 Willow Drive just across from the Barnes and Noble."

"I know exactly where that's at. I'll be there."

"Great! See you then."

She was giddy with excitement. She considered texting Sheldon with the news, but wanted to wait until it was official. She would surprise him when he got home.

...

It was dark and deserted when Penny arrived to The Sweet Life Bakery and Café. She noticed on the sign that the shop closed at 2 pm.

Caty let her in, and the greeted each other with a hug.

"You didn't stay this late for _me_, did you?"

"Oh, of course not," the owner shrugged. "After we close up shop, I usually take a few hours for a break, and then I come in around seven or eight to make pies or cakes and do prep work for the next day's baked goods."

"Wow, you _are_ really busy."

"Yes, and now you can see why I am hoping to step away from some of it. It's hard to have a social life with that kind of schedule."

"I imagine."

"I already have someone for me that does the morning shift. She comes in around 3 am," at this Penny's eyes went wide, "to take care of baking the big breakfast sellers. I come in around eight, and work on doing the rest of the baking…special orders, things for the lunch rush."

"Well, it sounds like you have quite the operation," Penny said with admiration.

"I love it," Caty replied. "But, I'd love to be able to spend more time with friends, and Michael, more."

Penny nodded.

"Well why don't you pick out a few things to sample? I absolutely _insist_ that my employees have intimate knowledge of all my products before they work for me."

She chuckled. "Well, that sounds like as good an excuse as any. Let's see I'll take a pecan roll…chocolate croissant…caramel apple torte…and the panna cotta."

"Great choices!"

Caty brought a tray to the table, and the pair dug in. Penny was in heaven, and openly acknowledged that the pastry chef was very good at her job.

"Oh!" the girl said suddenly. "There is something in the back I'd love to have you try. Do you mind?"

"Not at all," she replied between bites of panna cotta.

"Okay, be right back."

Penny heard the door open behind her, and was shocked to turn around and see Sheldon walking through the doorway in his scrubs.

"Wh..what are you doing here?" she stuttered.

"Caty called and told me my order was ready."

"_Your_ order?"

"Yes, I wanted to surprise you with a cheesecake. Er, surprise!" he offered a lopsided grin. "I explained that I didn't get off work till 7:30, but she said she'd be here, so she agreed to have it ready for me."

"She didn't tell you I was already here?"

"Nope."

"Well, why would she stuff me with all this food if she knew I had a cheesecake coming home tonight?" her question was more rhetorical than anything. "Sit down. Help me finish this off."

She felt her cheeks redden as he brushed her feet under the table with his own, and he lifted what was left of the croissant to her mouth to feed her.

She did the same with the small portion of pecan roll, and he sighed in pleasure. "It has been a long day, and I have missed you so." His eyes looked deeply into her own.

At that point, Caty emerged from the back with a cupcake in hand. "Here it is, my butterfinger cupcake…" she stopped in her tracks. "Oh, Dr. Cooper. How good to see you. Your cheesecake is in the fridge in the back. Um, um…let me go get that boxed up for you."

"No rush," Sheldon said warmly.

Caty set the cupcake, about half cake and half icing, on the tray, before heading to the back room.

Penny rubbed her stomach. "I don't think I can eat another bite. Let's just take the cupcake to go and go home," she reached across and grabbed his hand.

"Yes, perhaps you are right. When Caty gets back, well ask for a box. Penny, why exactly are_ you_ here?"

At that moment, something caught her eye, and she started pointing at the cupcake. "Ho-ly_ crap_!"

"Yes?"

"Do you know what that_ is_?"

"Yes, it appears to be a…"

She started to laugh. "Awww, some poor, sweet guy had this lovely thing put together, and she accidentally gave it to me."

She stood, grabbed the sweet, and marched over to the counter and yelled to the other woman. "Hey Caty, I think you gave me the wrong one! Do you have another back there for me to try? Caty?" Michael's girlfriend wasn't responding. "Caty, are you back there?"

She looked down and noticed the ring missing. "Hey, where's the ring?" She turned back to see if it had fallen out on the table, and was not at all expecting what she saw instead: Sheldon down on one knee in front of her.

She shrieked and the cupcake flew out of her hand, landing on Sheldon's arm, frosting splattering everywhere.

"Oh God Sheldon, I'm sorry," she said in horror, grabbing some napkins and kneeling down to wipe the icing off his arms and clothes and the floor. He hadn't moved. "This…this was for me?"

"Yes," he said simply while holding up the ring to her.

She smiled lovingly.

"Penny, I don't know what to say, other than to thank you for completing my life. You have been, you have given me something I never thought I would experience. Now, I cannot imagine my life without the feeling that fills my heart. And…I want you to be a part of me, always, as long as I live. So…will you marry me?"

"Yes," she said quietly.

"Yes?"

"Yes, I will marry you," she smiled.

"Okay then," he grinned, slipping the ring on her finger. "Okay then. Well, then we will get married."

"Yes, we will."

Her stoicism crumbled and she found herself flinging herself at him, kissing him all over his lips and face, as he tumbled backwards with her on top of him. At some point, she had started to cry out of joy.

"_This_ is more what I expected," he smiled up at her. His hands found her waist, as they laid affections on one another.

"Are you complaining?"

"Never."


	30. Gone

_Hello everyone, I have an awesome surprise for you. You'll see in a bit!_

_This chapter is a little long, and I am going to try to mark it so it is as not confusing as possible. There is not **as** much Sheldon and Penny in this chapter, but there is a little bit, and hopefully, it will flesh out the story, so that everyone is pretty clear going forward._

* * *

Alyoma sat back and watched the monitors. They were so close. Just getting through this last hurdle and they would be able to move forward with the drug. Unfortunately, the drug did not seem to be deteriorating in the proper way, as her father had expected.

She sat and thought of all they had gone through leading up to this moment. They had overcome so many obstacles. This would be the final test.

...

**It** had been too easy to convince the Omaha Theatric Symphony that she was some high ranking entertainment pollster. She offered to do some panels free of charge in exchange for complete access to the building, excepting the financial offices. That was fine. She didn't need them anyway.

Her on-again off-again boyfriend Vlad was a computer mastermind. While they were "off" and had been for quite some time, she was willing to become "on" in order to get his help. He was able to hack the symphony's database to get information on the blonde. He was able to get the family name, address, and phone number within a matter of minutes. This allowed them to stake out the McKinnon homestead to take care of surveillance on that end.

One evening, Vlad had also hacked into the mainframe, and was able to disable the building's security cameras. Using her key to the building, she went in and rigged a number of cameras: outside the building, in the meeting room they were to use, the restrooms, the lobby, hallways, and in the performance hall itself. Vlad then dubbed some footage from a different evening and re-wrote it where the deleted footage would have been.

They had complete access to nearly all the pair's comings and goings while at the theater... except for one night when they disappeared into a nearby meeting room. Alyoma cursed herself, making note that in the future, it was important to monitor _all_ meeting rooms, just in case. While their disheveled appearance left little doubt as to what their intentions were inside the room, she couldn't help but be intrigued by the extent to which it transpired.

The interns at the company assigned to her were helpful, but not overly so. She pointed out both Dr. Cooper and the blonde, as well as three other people so as not to appear suspicious, as targets for the panel. She asked that they get about 25-30 other people, chosen at random. From what she could tell, no one suspected a thing.

At that point, they held their breath. The interns were given the instructions with the five targeted patrons to "sweeten the pot" if they seemed hesitant. Svetlana seemed rather sure that Sheldon would participate, given his opinionated nature. The wild card was Penelope. This whole charade hinged on whether she accepted or not. Without her participation, going forward would be pointless, and they would have to come up with some other means of connecting the two.

Luckily, it worked out.

Everything they had planned so far had been executed flawlessly. But, getting into the sessions would add the human element, and that's where everything could have gone wrong. Alyoma had considered grouping them into pairs right off the bat. Her father discouraged her. It had been his opinion that the drugs had run through both individuals' systems long enough. He wanted to see if they were able to find each other on their own. With the slight push of putting them in opposing groups, they did end up partnering together. Her father's intuition had been right.

What happened from thereon out was anyone's guess. The way they took to each other was not expected, even under the influence of the Leleyal. They worked together beautifully. They seemed genuinely interested in talking and sharing stories. They challenged each other, and their eyes watched each other continually. By the last class, when they left in each other's company, her father couldn't guarantee anything, but they knew they were _way_ ahead of where they thought they would be over the course of the few short weeks.

They had expected the focus group to facilitate awareness…just for them to be comfortable in the other's presence, to be aware of the other's existence. They certainly didn't expect a friendship to be formed so quickly. And ultimately, the result of the panel hadn't only been awareness, but actual attraction.

* * *

Svetlana was curled up on the floor. She stirred from a quick catnap. She blinked at the monitors and then at Alyoma. She was nervous about what would happen between them once everything went back to normal…whatever normal was. Alyoma had been married, and then dated a number of guys, and then _she_ married Sheldon. All the while, they were caught up with this medication business. She longed to go back to the days when they first met, when it was all about seeing sights, watching movies, soft kisses at sunrise.

Sometimes, she wished she had never bought that ticket to Moscow. Then, she could still be simple Lana Cartwright from Omaha, Nebraska. Maybe she would have met someone and lived out a happy, simple existence. She cared deeply for her Russian friend, and physically, they were extremely compatible. But, did it have to be so hard?

She let out a yawn as she stretched her arms over her head. This alerted Alyoma to her being awake. The brunette turned to face her. Svetlana looked deeply into Alyoma's eyes from across the room, asking the unspoken question. Alyoma shook her head sadly.

Nothing had changed.

"Come here," she beckoned, patting the free spot next to her.

Alyoma acquiesced, curling her back against her chest, as Svetlana wrapped the blanket around them in a tight embrace. They both lay on their sides, facing the monitor wall, waiting for any sign of progress.

...

Lana Cartwright's father Gary was very much alive. He lived in Sarasota with her mother and his bulldog Sarge.

Long before Sheldon and Penny were implanted, when they were just in the planning stages of the process, they needed an excuse for Lana to get away all the time. Thus, the facade of the ill father was born.

Sheldon only met her "father" one time. She had insisted to him that she wanted to keep him away from that side of her. She wanted to keep her unhappy part of life with her father's health and the happy part of life, the future with him separate. It sounded good when she said it.

Anatoly had sat in as Lana's father. His English was okay, but he had a thick accent which was impossible to cover up. So, together, the three of them wrapped him in a bed, made him look rather pitiful, and he grumbled and moaned his way through meeting Lana's husband.

She couldn't help but wonder how her super-observant husband hadn't questioned the family resemblance, considering Anatoly's dark and brooding skin and eyes and Lana's fair skin, blonde hair, and light blue eyes.

But, as observant as her husband was, he was equally, if not more, polite and proper. He would not and _did_ not dig into her personal life.

She visited Norfolk about once a month in the early stages. Once Sheldon and Penny were brought together, she went up there nearly every weekend, under the pretext of visiting her dying father.

When Lana's father had "died," they had hired a dozen actors from the local theater company to portray relatives, taking up residence in their headquarters, or in this case, Uncle Thomas' home.

They were obviously not going to be able to present a body. They debated about just doing a closed casket, but in the interest of saving money and practicality, they opted for the cremation angle. They wouldn't have to worry about the cost of a casket, the burial, or anything like that.

They put a fake obituary in the newspaper, listing one of the large local churches as Gary's place of worship. As they expected, many members of the church, even though they (obviously) did not know him, showed up to pay their respects. Lana felt a little guilty over the two handfuls of people who actually _knew_ her father before he had moved to Florida. She was hopeful that by having the memorial in Norfolk, she would avoid all the people they had known in Omaha. But, word apparently got around. She wanted to tell them the truth, not to mourn, but she couldn't. The emotion overwhelmed her. They would likely never find out the truth, and if they did, well…they would cross that bridge when they came to it.

Her father's death had a purpose. The only way to explain why Lana was no longer visiting her very ill father was for him to pass. They needed Lana to be away from the home less often, to see how the couple handled it. Would they find a new place to meet up? Would they break things off? Would they experience guilt at their indiscretion during such a difficult time?

...

Their continued dalliances and complete lack of remorse was yet one more piece of evidence that the Leleyal was at work. For someone as loyal as Dr. Cooper and someone as good-hearted as Penelope to commit such acts, thinking of no one but themselves…the only explanation was that the drugs had in fact not only created a feeling of being "in love" but also a sense of reckless abandon, like nothing and no one else mattered. They had seen it in other couples, but never as fiercely as with this pair.

Michael and Penelope's relationship had thrown quite the wrench into their plans. What would the medication do, now that not only were three people involved, but four? Would it withstand the strain? How would it affect Penny's drug-induced feelings for Sheldon? They were willing to analyze the situation for a bit, but they could not let things get too out of control. If the two young people became too close or too serious, the experiment could have been all for naught. They would let the condition be, for scientific purposes, but at some point, they would have to step in.

Eventually, Lana became Michael's confidante. They had always shared a special bond, and if she felt any guilt, it was that she was going to lose her relationship with Michael, someone she truly cared about.

She started out by planting seeds of doubt in her stepson's head. Saying that their relationship was not very warm. Asking why they were never physical around them. Even suggesting that they have a romantic weekend away with each other. It was then that Michael admitted the lack of intimacy that the two shared, something that the three co-conspirators had suspected, but never confirmed. They could not bug or rig up cameras in _every_ single place the couple ever was. But, from what they _did_ see, they never saw a relationship that had become sexual.

From there, she encouraged Mike to take charge in the relationship, to take what he wanted, to be aggressive. She cringed later on, recalling the words she had said: "Come on, Mikey, that's probably exactly what the girl wants, for you to take what's yours. You need to be a little more forceful with her." She obviously didn't mean rape, but behavior violent enough for the girl to break things off.

...

She remembered very well the evening that Sheldon had to go pick Michael up from a party. She heard them stumble in the doorway. She made her way from the bedroom, to see her husband sitting on the couch, watching television with his back to her.

"Is Michael okay?" she had asked.

"Yeah, but I about threw my back out trying to get him upstairs and into bed."

"Oh, well that's good. Are you going to be up for a while, dear?"

"Yeah, I'm not really that tired. I'll just watch some TV for a while," he had replied.

"Okay. Goodnight." Then, ever so quietly, she snuck up the stairs rather than going back down the hallway to her room.

At the top of the stairs, she looked down upon the living room, where she saw Sheldon lay on the couch and pull out his phone. She didn't have to guess who he was calling.

She could just barely make out the murmurs coming from downstairs. It wasn't until Sheldon unbuttoned and unzipped his trousers, reaching his hand inside his underwear that she realized what was happening. She was partially turned on, but mostly horrified, and she disappeared wide-eyed into Michael's bedroom.

She had sat on his bed and rubbed his cheek tenderly. He mumbled and drooled at the same time. He was really quite drunk. "You okay, baby?" she had asked.

"Are Dad and Penny having sex?" he slurred.

She chuckled at the irony, considering what was going on downstairs. "No, dear. Your dad's home right now."

"I think Dad and Penny are having sex," he babbled again.

"You're not thinking clear, Mikey. Go to bed." She had smoothed his sweaty hair back from his face.

Instead, he sat up, looking at her with glassy eyes. "Lowlifes. We should get back at 'em," his head had wobbled as he spoke.

She laughed softly. "And how do you propose we do that?"

To her shock, he started taking his clothes off. "We should have sex, Mom," he leered at her.

"Wow, you are _really_ drunk," she said. "You don't want this old body. Trust me."

"Yes, I do," he said with the petulance of a child. "I wanna have sex with my Mom. My hot, sexy mom."

She had struggled against him, but he reached out and pulled her nightgown up to expose her plain white underwear and bare breasts. "See? Sexy."

She felt herself give in momentarily as his lips captured her breasts in a sloppy kiss. "Michael…" she warned.

She felt relieved when he finally let her go. But, the relief was short-lived, as she watched him walk over and very deliberately lock the door, turning back to her with hungry eyes. Every part of her knew it was wrong. Every part of her was screaming no.

Except one.

He had been the best male lover she had ever had. And the next day, he didn't remember any of it.

* * *

Anatoly watched his daughter and Svetlana slumbering together on the floor, exhausted from analyzing the confusing situation unfolding before them.

Alyoma seemed at peace, but Svetlana lightly tossed and turned, eyes jerking below their lids, as if having a bad dream or recalling an experience.

Everything was so foreign to him; he hardly knew what the purpose of his drug trial was anymore. So many relationships were intertwined in a tangled mess. He had been devoted and faithful to his beloved Marija during their entire life together. He had never strayed or even considered it. Even at their age, they still made love together on a regular basis. This was the kind of partnership his parents had made together, and their parents before them.

The idea of a marriage without love baffled him. You had a man cheating on his wife. You had a woman lying and deceiving those closest to her to be with said man. There was Svetlana and his dochka: while their attraction was palpable, it was hard to tell if it was solid. The American woman seemed confused…sometimes she was attracted to Alyoma, sometimes she wanted to be with men, sometimes she wanted something carefree, sometimes she wanted to settle down. She didn't seem to have a grasp on what she wanted. His dochka on the other hand was similar, in that she had no clear path, yet it didn't bother her the way it did Svetlana. She had had boyfriends, girlfriends, even been married. She enjoyed her time with Svetlana, but she also enjoyed her time with Vlad, until she found herself bored. Why were these things so complicated, so hard? All his life, with Marija, it had been so easy?

He had envisioned this project with the noblest of intentions. A chance to bring love to a sometimes unloved world and to make a little money along the way, that's all he wanted. Somewhere along the way, he and his vision had gotten lost. But, once they were neck deep, they had to finish the job. He just wanted it to be over with, so they could move on with their lives.

...

In order to move back to Russia, which was the plan, Lana Cooper had to cease to exist. A disappearance was too risky. She was from a wealthy family and married to a very prominent physician. Something like that could make local or even national news, with authorities investigating at an even international level.

Her mother, whose side of the family was the one the money was on, had transferred her inheritance once she moved back to the US. Her parents were elderly and they kept enough to live on for many years to come. They wanted Lana to be able to use her rightful money as an investment, to be able to own a home, start a business. What good would the money do her in 25 years after they were gone and she was nearly their age? So, once she was back in the states, she visited them in Florida a couple of times a year unbeknownst to Dr. Cooper of course. And, they deposited money, a little (at least a little for them) each month, into a bank account.

As for faking Lana's death, Anatoly had to call in a slew of favors on that. It had to be realistic. It had to be untraceable. And it had to seem absolutely accidental. There could be _no _investigation into it. A team of men much smarter than he worked on rigging the car to go off the road, as well as making sure skid marks and everything else at the scene lined up, while also figuring out how Lana could be driving the car and then pulled from the car prior to the crash. It was very detailed, very complicated, and very expensive.

They were able to find someone to be a mole inside the crash investigation team. The agent contacted Dr. Cooper to inform them that they had combed the scene and found nothing. That was a lie. They had analyzed the wreckage itself, but hadn't yet investigated the contents inside the vehicle. As they expected, Dr. Cooper wanted the investigation called off. Their mole filled out the appropriate paperwork, cited that only slight amounts of human remains were found on the scene and turned over to the family of the deceased, and filed it with no incident.

...

As a parent, the next step was very difficult for Anatoly. They needed to make it believable that Lana Cooper was dead. Svetlana insisted that her parents be informed that she was okay, and Alyoma opposed. It was one of the biggest fights he had seen them have. His daughter explained that if her parents knew, it would be very difficult to explain without letting them in on the whole secret. Svetlana argued that since _their_ money was helping fund _their_ project, maybe they _should_ know. Alyoma suggested that her parents would receive phone calls from relatives and friends…would they be able to lie to everyone? Or if there was just _one_ family member that they thought had the right to know, would they let them in on it too? If there was that possibility, it was a chance they couldn't take. Sadly, Svetlana didn't contend this, as she knew with her mother's big heart, there would probably be someone she would be guilted into telling.

Alyoma pulled out the final argument, and with it, Svetlana wavered the most. If, small as the chances were, the accident incurred a serious investigation, her parents, who had met her in Hilton Head during her vacation, would have been amongst the last to see her alive.

"I know no one would suspect them of anything, babe," his daughter's cold eyes bore into the blonde's, "but, they would still likely be interviewed. Do you _really_ want to put them in the position of having to lie to authorities, maybe even perjure themselves? The less they know, the better for _them_. Really, you'd be sparing them."

Svetlana had been visibly shaken, but stood her ground. No informing her parents, no deal. And Anatoly agreed, something that earned him the ire of his daughter for several days. With that in mind, Vlad created a fake driver's license, with the correct name and address, but with other false information, such as age, hair color, weight. They wanted there to be as much confusion as possible in order to pull it off.

So, they planted the fake ID in the car. The license was coated with a special anti-inflammatory agent that assured that no matter how explosive the scene was, the identification would be mostly unscathed.

Their mole on the police force was the first at the accident scene, by design of course. He was able to retrieve the ID, and filed the accident report as is standard. The newspaper and radio stations went with the information that was provided. Lana Cooper, 32, had been in a car accident and died. Walnut Creek was still listed as her place of residence, though, so anyone who read the stories, likely either glossed over the age, or assumed it was a mistake by those media sources.

The mole then contacted Dr. Cooper to inform him of his wife's untimely demise. From there, as was typical, Dr. Cooper had taken care of the arrangements as if he had truly lost his wife. He put an obituary in the local newspaper. Within hours , Svetlana had received a frantic call from her mother. They had received a call from old friends of theirs.

She was able to say, in relatively good conscience, "Mom, I'm fine. There was a mix-up with the identification.

As it turned out, her parents had only received three calls from friends or relatives, as they only caught what was in the local paper. Her parents assured them it was a mix-up, and they all went back to their lives.

Sheldon hadn't even _known_ that there was anyone to contact from her side of the family. He knew, or at least believed her father was dead, and her mother hadn't been at his funeral, so as far as he knew, perhaps her mother was dead, too. It was an avalanche of miscommunication and confusion.

...

Somehow, it worked out for them. Yes, a few more families knew that she was, in fact, not dead. But, as far as her life in Omaha was concerned, she was.

One day, Svetlana had been venting to both of them. "I don't understand. This thing is so confusing. Why do I have to be _dead_? Why can't I just move back to Russia like a normal person who moves to another country?"

"This is _not_ a normal situation," Alyoma explained. "We've broken at _least_ two dozen federal laws, not to mention state and local ones. Mind control is a big deal. Medicating someone without their consent is a big deal. Faking your death is a big deal. We've been very lucky so far, and I think we've covered ourselves adequately, but you just never know. If we got caught, you are looking at prison for the rest of your life."

Anatoly had spoken up as well, with a much more tender voice. "You could have moved to Russia as Lana Cooper, but if our operation was ever discovered, you would be under the mercy of whether or not Russia chooses to extradite. That would be a gamble; do you really want to take that chance?"

"My Svetlana," Alyoma started, "you said you wanted a brand new life in Russia. You wanted to wipe the slate clean and have a brand new life. _This_ is what we are giving you."

"I know," the American had admitted. "I just didn't realize it would be so hard. I didn't realize it would be like _this_."

...

He watched the monitors. The Leleyal in the girl's system was nearly gone, but still there. However, the red mass in Dr. Cooper had done nothing. It had even grown, if anything.

And then his daughter was sitting up. "Papa?"

"Yes, my Aly?"

"Nothing has changed."

"Not yet, I am aware."

"Are you not worried?" her voice was steady, but he detected unease on her part.

He hesitated. "Not yet, my dear. Because of the uniqueness of this experiment, because we would be testing two different control groups…I _did_ increase the number of chemicals in the Leleyal proportionately. Nothing dangerous, but a little bit more than usual. I am sure it will just take slightly longer than usual for it to wear off."

"It is almost gone in the girl, Penelope."

"Yes."

"She still loves him," she seemed confused.

Anatoly tilted his head. "So you say."

"Papa?"

"We only know what we can _see_. We cannot see into her heart. Yes, she is still kind and devoted. I would not have expected any less from her. But, perhaps in her mind, she is battling her thoughts and feelings."

The older man looked at the screen, where he saw Dr. Cooper and Penelope at home, curled up together on the couch. He was reading the newspaper, and her head rested on his shoulder gently, while she ran her fingers through his hair. He saw them both look toward the door. The blonde untucked her legs from underneath her, but before going to answer the door, she placed a sweet kiss to the doctor's cheek.

Anatoly winced. He was not sure he even believed himself anymore.

He just barely heard Alyoma's voice answer him. "Hmmmm….perhaps."


	31. Erin Go Braugh

_WHAT?! Two chapters in ONE day? Holy smokes, Batman!_

_This is your fun surprise. Back-to-back chapters. Yay!_

_Enjoy! This story should wrap up within the next couple of weeks (if I can let it go...I may just keep going forever) Then, soon, we will be getting back to our sad Shenny reality._

* * *

Sheldon entered his house to see Penny in a ratty shirt, pair of gym shorts and her hair in a messy ponytail on top of her head. She was standing next to the dining room table, which had been converted into a craft table of sorts during his absence at work.

There was glue and glitter and markers strewn out across the table, as well as a cardboard box. He noticed there were five other cardboard boxes, already decorated on the ground off to the side.

Penny was holding her hands out to her side, sticky and messy; she was attempting to grab things with her wrists, in order to keep her hands from contaminating anything else. A stray section of hair fell down into her face, and she frustratingly blew against the hair, attempting to move it away from her face. She blew harder, but it still didn't help.

He chuckled to himself, the sight in front of him was so endearing. He cleared his throat to alert her that he was home, stepped close to her, and then gently reached up to tuck the stray locks behind her ears. He placed a kiss to her forehead for good measure.

"Thanks," she breathed.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"Oh! Well, I am collecting items for the humane society. We are going to put some of these boxes at a few of the businesses here in town, and patrons can drop off treats, toys, medicine, whatever. Caty agreed to put one in her shop."

"Oh," he didn't know what to say. "Well, good for you, dear."

"This is the last one," she assured him. "Then, I can make you some dinner…or we could go out if you want."

"I'm not really that hungry."

"Oh." Penny continued to work on the final box.

She decorated, and he stood watching her in a much too long awkward silence.

"Soooooo" she prodded.

"Yeah," he looked around, trying to come up with something to say. "I'm thinking of trading in the car."

"Aw, the convertible!? Why?" she asked, not hiding her disappointment.

She finished up the box, and then walked over to the kitchen sink to run her hands under the water.

* * *

Penny let the warm water soak her hands and contemplated Sheldon's chilly personality.

_He probably had a bad day at work._

"Well, the Lexus is…gone," the doctor swallowed. "We had one practical car, the Lexus, and one fun car, the convertible." He rolled his eyes at the word _fun_, as she towel dried her hands.

"We still have a practical car. The Prius."

"_Your_ Prius."

"_Our_ Prius."

"Be that as it may, I feel uncomfortable not having a more sensible mode of transportation to and from work."

"Okay," she agreed. "Then, you should get a new car. What are you thinking?"

"I will likely get a Lexus, exactly like the other one, newer model year maybe."

"A _Lexus_," she was embarrassed by the sound of her own voice whining. "All the vehicles in the world and you choose the _exact same one_!?"

"I liked my Lexus."

She huffed and rolled her eyes.

"Well, it wasn't exactly the most practical car in the world _either_," she challenged. "You wouldn't let anyone eat or drink in it. The leather seats were a pain in the neck. None of the dogs could ride in it, lest they poke holes in the leather. Speaking of leather, you would have to drive around the block _five times_ looking for a parking spot, because it _had_ to be in the shade, or else the leather would get too hot."

"Well, that's what your car is for…the other stuff."

"_Our_ car."

"Penelope, according to the State of Nebraska and your insurance company, it is most certainly _your_ car."

"Fine," she conceded, wanting the argument to be over. "Will you at least be a little less uptight with it? And look at a different color, red maybe?"

"Penelope, I _know_ that you are not telling me how to buy my own car."

She felt like he had punched her in the gut. "No, of course not," she said quietly.

Still, she couldn't resist going further.

"Will you at least look at cloth seats?"

Sheldon looked scandalized. "Cloth seats? Lexuses have _leather_ seats."

"Okay, but couldn't…"

"Enough!" he shouted at her. "I hate the convertible, okay? Driving around in some stupid convertible that I never wanted in the first place, golf clubs in the back seat, me in my doctor gear, the med school license plate Lana _insisted_ we get, people look me like some giant douche, and quite frankly, I feel like one."

Penny was stunned into silence.

"I want a Lexus. I am familiar with the Lexus. I enjoyed the Lexus. I'm going to get a Lexus, and it's _going_ to have leather seats."

"Okay," she nodded.

He disappeared into the bedroom, only to come out 15 minutes later, changed into a pair of shorts and a polo shirt. He walked toward the garage without a word to her.

She stood at the stove, sautéing green beans, but dropped her utensil to follow him. "Where are you going?"

"I'm going to the driving range for a while, to hit a bucket of balls," he raised his voice. "Is that o_kay_ with you? Or is that another way I'm not allowed to spend _my_ money?!"

She closed her eyes to blink back tears, and by the time she opened them he was gone, the sound of a slammed door reverberating against the walls.

* * *

Sheldon arrived to the driving range, and nearly all the slots were full, but after a short five minute wait, he was able to step up to the tee on the second level of the range.

He pulled out a club. With no deference to aim or accuracy, he started to hit balls with all his might, as if aiming at a target 700 yards away. Most of his shots cut sharply to the left or veered to the right. When clobbering the ball with such force, precision was an afterthought. He didn't even realize he was grunting as he hit the balls until the guy next to him spoke.

"Settle down, man."

"Sorry," he mumbled.

"Woman problems?" the caramel-colored man sympathized.

Not one to air out his dirty laundry in public, he simply grunted an assent.

...

He heard the lilt of a female voice behind him, giggling. It wasn't sharp or annoying, the kind that makes your ears bleed. It was soft, like a melody playing in his ears.

_Penny?_

The laughter came again, and this time, he twirled around. A few slots down, a petite brunette was laughing, as the man behind her was attempting to teach her how to swing. Her form was horrible, and for a moment he felt a rush of pride. If he wanted to teach Penny how to golf, he was certain she would be gifted immediately. She had natural athletic ability.

He felt his face become warm and looked away, when he noticed the man whispering intimately in her ear, leading to even more laughter.

His heart tugged, feeling like that should have been him and Penny, cozied up next to each other. His arms around her tightly, murmuring the instructions in her ear, as if they were the sweetest nothings that were ever spoken. Her lips audible with delight. Her movements wouldn't be awkward and jerky; they would be smooth and graceful. He would let her try for herself, and in one shot, she would be a master. She would challenge him to a distance contest. And he would spare her no mercy. She would win anyway.

He snapped out of it, realizing he had been standing there for quite some time motionless. An idea sprung to mind. He handed the half-full bucket of balls to the gentleman that seemed to understand his plight, picked up his clubs, and hastily walked toward his car.

...

He heard her voice before he saw her. She was in the master bedroom.

"I know, Mom," she sniffled.

He closed his eyes. He should have been happy that Penny and her mother were on speaking terms, but he still felt guilty nonetheless.

He peeked around the corner. She was still in her messy clothes with a stack of her wedding magazines next to her on the nightstand. She was pulling out the page markers, unfolding the corners where she had saved the pages, and smoothing them down. Her laptop was sitting on the bed in front of her.

"The bookstore wouldn't take them back, obviously, so hopefully someone will buy them on eBay."

"_Three dollars_! I gave _12_ for this one," she groaned, staring at the computer screen.

"Well, if nothing else, I will just donate them."

"I…I do love him, Mom. With my whole heart. I just don't think I'm what _he_ wants."

"I will talk to him, but...I guess I am just preparing myself for the worst case scenario."

"Okay, tell Daddy hi for me."

"I understand. Bye."

Sheldon felt tears spring to his eyes as he forced himself to control his emotions. If this was to work, he couldn't be all teary-eyed about it.

He walked into the room, holding the bouquet of flowers out in front of him. "Hey," he said tentatively.

"Hey," she returned, eyes fixated on the laptop.

"These are for you," he pushed the flowers out again.

"Okay, there's a vase in the hall closet," she still didn't look at him.

"I have a surprise for you," he said jovially.

"Is it a _new car_?" she asked in a mocking _Price is Right_ tone.

"No, will you please just come with me?"

* * *

She had every intention of ignoring him. She had every intention of making up some lame excuse about going to bed early. She had every intention of closing her heart off, she had been hurt too much today.

Without a word, she got up and stood next to Sheldon, eyeing him warily. He joined their hands and pulled her gently through the home. They walked out the back door…past the pool, past the dog area, until they got to an edge of trees.

"If you're planning on murdering me, I'd rather we just break up, no questions asked," she said only half-joking.

He guided her on a path through the wooded area, where she could see in the distance a faint glow.

"Is this your property?" she whispered.

"I don't _think_ it is," he replied earnestly.

She looked at him, eyes wide with surprise.

"Okay, close your eyes."

She did as she was told, as she felt his hand on her back, pushing her a few feet, twisting her and turning her a few times.

"Okay, open them."

When her eyes flew open, she was startled to see a blanket spread out on the ground. There was a picnic basket, more flowers, and votive candles scattered all around.

"Sheldon?" she was afraid to look at him, afraid at how his eyes would sparkle in the candlelight.

"Surprise," he said nervously. "Shall we eat?"

She put her hands on her hips. "And how do you know I haven't already eaten?"

"When you get upset, you can't eat. It jumbles up your tummy, remember?"

He took her hand and pulled her down to the blanket with him. He spread his legs wide, allowing her to cuddle up against him, between his legs.

"Let's see what we've got." He placed the picnic basket between their legs and reached around her to shuffle through the basket.

"Smoothies," he smiled. She pulled the drinks out of the well-insulated container. The pink one, Bananaberry was hers, and she knew the yellow one was his. She handed him his smoothie over her shoulder.

As he took it, he must have tilted it just a little, because Penny let out a sharp gasp, feeling the freezing cold liquid hit the back of her neck.

"Sorry," he said sincerely. "A little spill."

Then, she felt his hot tongue against her skin, lapping up the sweetness from her body, perhaps more than was really necessary. She let out an involuntary sigh.

"Sheldon," she warned.

"Sorry again," he said after pulling back.

"Fried chicken!" she lit up.

"Your mom's," he whispered.

She froze in place. "What?"

"I called your mother. I told her I thought you could really use some home cookin' and asked what she had and what she could get me. As it turned out, she had made fried chicken tonight."

She remembered her mother's voice earlier this evening, saying numerous ways to give Sheldon a chance, just talk to him, hear him out. Now she knew why. "You risked your neck to go over there and get me fried chicken?"

"Not exactly," he sniggered. "She met me down by the mailbox."

"Still."

"Yes, still. Imagine your father's face when he founds out that all of Jo's famous fried chicken is completely gone."

"I'd rather not."

"I was thinking about the car."

"Can we not talk about the car?"

"All I wished to say was…I have plans for my perfect, pristine, fresh-off-the-lot car."

"Really?" she asked skeptically.

"Yes," his voice lowered. "I was hoping that you and I could make sure the back seat is acceptable…"

He lowered his mouth to her ear and whispered the rest of his suggestion in a devilish voice.

Her eyes widened immensely. "In your brand new car!?"

* * *

Sheldon laughed, but also noticed the way her thighs just slightly tensed up at his outrageous idea for breaking in his new vehicle.

With his arms still wrapped around her, he started to open the container of chicken. "There should also be some potato salad and grapes in there too."

"Grapes?"

"Yeah, can't a man feed his lady grapes? It's romantic."

She laughed, that beautiful laugh that he would never tire of.

She placed her hands against his forearms gently. "Actually…I'm not really that hungry after all."

He frowned. "Are you still upset?"

He felt her pull away from him, and confusion washed over him. What had gone wrong?

However, she simply maneuvered her body around so she was facing him, straddling his midsection. To his pleasure, she wrapped her arms around his neck. "I just have something else I'd rather be doing."

He looked up into her eyes briefly, and before he could register any thoughts at all, she kissed him full on the mouth, pushing him back onto the blanket.

...

He woke up a couple of hours later feeling exhausted. He was hoping the picnic would go well, but he didn't expect it to go _that_ well.

Penny was next to him, naked and shivering. He snuggled close to her, rubbing his hands up and down her arms to keep her warm.

She blinked her eyes open and smiled up at him. "Can we fight more often?"

He grinned. He knew what she _really_ meant was, could they fight more often so that they could _make up_ more often.

"Warm me up," she said in a sweet voice.

He continued to rub her arms. "I'm trying."

"Try harder."

He went to speak, but she interrupted them.

"Maybe there is something _else_ you could do to warm us both up," she waggled her eyebrows.

"Again? Penny, good Lord!"

She gave him a demure smile, as she sat up and grabbed two of the votive candles. The light was still flickering in them, but barely. The wax had been completely burned out into a pool of liquid. She gently blew out each candle and set them down next to her.

He saw an idea pop into her head, as if a light bulb had just turned on. She then picked up one of the votives, carefully pouring the liquefied wax over her stomach, wincing as it hit her skin and immediately solidified.

He groaned. All of the sudden, her desires became their desires, and he would not be able to hold back.

"What am I going to do with you?" he teased.

"Whatever you want."

Minutes later, Sheldon cried out in pain, feeling the hot wax that he hadn't seen coming scorch the skin on his back. He gripped Penny hard. "Aaaaaach," he grimaced, his skin tingling where the wax burned into his skin. He bit down on his lip, drawing blood, but also preventing him from using the words that Mary Cooper taught him to never say in front of a lady.

Mere moments later, Penny let out a similar, although for different reasons, cry of her own.

Her words weren't quite as ladylike.

* * *

When Penny woke for good that morning, it was just before the dawn. She couldn't tell from within the confines of the woods if the sun was up yet or not, but the sky did seem lighter.

Her trooper of a fiancé was lying next to her face down. She herself felt famished. She couldn't imagine how _he_ had the stamina to go along with the previous night's activities.

She looked down at him tenderly, and started to gently pull the solid wax from his body. Luckily, it came off pretty easily. Then, she did the same to her stomach.

She cuddled up to Sheldon, wrapping her arms and legs around his body.

"No more, Penny, no more," he begged sleepily.

"Relax, I'm just hugging you," she smiled.

"Oh okay," he exhaled in relief. He turned over onto his back and allowed her to sidle up next to him, wrapping his arm around her shoulder.

"We _do_ need to talk, you know," she said.

"I suppose we do."

"I don't ever want you to feel pressured by me."

"I don't."

"You were right, it's your money."

"It's _our_ money; I was being stupid."

"You've earned the right to do whatever you want."

"I should have discussed it with you. It's just…"

"Go on, Shelly."

"With Lana, everything was an equal partnership. Separate bank accounts, separate cars. She had a hand in everything, wanted a say in everything. She decided the house rules, the places we ate, the kind of milk we bought."

"That's why you have skim?"

"Ugh, yes."

"I've always bought skim, because I thought that's what you liked," she said.

"No, it's not."

"2% is clearly the best," Penny smiled.

"Clearly!" he agreed. "Anyway, I was hoping with us, it would be different, that's all."

"How?"

"I'd be the one with the money, I'd be the one bringing home the bacon. _I'd_ be taking care of _you_. I want to take care of you."

Her face softened. "Sheldon, that's sweet. And, I love that you want to take care of me. But, this _should_ be a partnership. I want us to make decisions _together_. I'm not going to just sit back and not make a peep."

"I wouldn't want you to."

"So, can we just say we learned our lesson and move on?"

"Yes. I hate fighting with you, though the resolution is sometimes well worth it." She tightened her arms around him as he spoke.

Just as she started to drift off, he talked again. "So about our wedding…"

* * *

"Yes?" she looked up at him, green eyes shining.

"I guess we can start by…where do you want to have it?"

Simultaneously, Sheldon and Penny sat up on the blanket. He crossed his legs at the ankle, and she sat Indian style.

"Gosh, I dunno," she replied.

"Nowhere special? A family church, a park?"

She shook her head.

His mind wandered as he noticed the nip in the air had reached Penny's breasts, and he lost his train of thought. He shook his head free of impure thoughts, and reached behind him, grabbing his shirt.

"Here, put this on. I'll never make it through this conversation if you don't cover up." He grabbed his shorts and rested them across his lap.

She tugged the shirt over her body. Seeing her, basking in the morning glow of a night well spent, in his shirt? That almost made things _worse_.

He went on: "Any ideas at all?"

She bit her lip.

_Groan._ _I am the master of my body, I am the master of my body._

"I was thinking maybe a destination wedding?"

"Oh? Anywhere particular?"

"No, no place specific. Just somewhere we can just go. Hawaii, the Dominican, Italy, South Africa, the hot springs resort in Colorado," she rattled off.

"Ireland?"

Her eyes lit up at the suggestion. "Ireland," she confirmed. "Ireland!"

"I hear it's beautiful."

"Me too! A wedding in Ireland? I love it!" she clapped.

"We could fly everyone over there, rent a chalet in the Irish countryside where people can stay, maybe make a little vacation out of it."

"I know it will be a small gathering, Shel, but won't that get expensive?"

"And I have money, my future wife. Lana's inheritance has hardly been touched."

Penny scowled. "Using your dead wife's money to pay for a wedding to a new wife who you were cheating on dead wife with? That just sounds like a bad idea."

"I used dead wife's money to pay off my future wife's Prius," he said pointedly. "What's the difference?"

"I know. It just feels…icky."

"Would it make you feel any better if I paid for it out of my salary from the hospital, and then reimbursed my salary from Lana's inheritance?" he joked.

"Sheldon, that would be ridiculous," she said. "But…kinda."

"Penny."

"Sorry, I just don't want to start our marriage off with weird karma."

"Baby, if our relationship was going to have bad karma, it would have happened by now," he said, not believing in such hokum.

"Okay," she conceded. "However it gets paid, it gets paid. So…Ireland. At Christmas?" she asked hopefully.

"Christmas it is," he smiled.

* * *

Later that day, at lunch, Penny was chopping up fruit at the counter while Sheldon was playing with Beeker.

"I was thinking…" he started.

"Be careful, dear, you're going to hurt yourself," she joked.

"I'd like to have an engagement party."

Penny stopped what she was doing, and looked at the man in shock.

"You do?"

"Yes, nothing extravagant or anything. Just a small group of people. Maybe we could grill out, hang out by the pool."

"That sounds great!"

"Yes, I'll invite Michael's mom, stepdad, and their whole side of the family. I'd really like you to meet my sister."

She was touched, and placed her hand over her heart.

"I want to meet all of them, too. We'll make a list."

He cleared his throat nervously. "Before we send out invitations or anything like that…would you be open to doing a long weekend sometime in the next few weeks. Maybe a Thursday to Sunday kind of thing?"

"Sure, what do you have in mind?"

"I'd like you to meet my mother."

* * *

Sheldon had told Penny a little bit about his 85-year-old spitfire of a mother. She knew that she lived in an assisted living facility in Texas. She knew that she raised him to be a gentleman. She knew that after she lost her eldest son George to a heart attack at the age of 42, Sheldon became Mary Cooper's golden child.

"Wow, yes! I can't wait to meet her!" Penny crowed happily.

"Good," he smiled. "I think probably before we have some big ol' party, we should probably go and make it official with my mother."

"She doesn't know yet?"

He let out a low whistle. "Lord, no."

"Why not?"

"Because if I had called her up and told her, she would have hitchhiked her way up here to meet you, and complained the whole time that I didn't get her permission first."

She smiled at him. "Well, she's your momma. Does Missy know?"

"Missy does _not_ know, because if _she_ knew, my mom would know, and we'd right back to the same scenario: her hitchhiking."

"Well, in any case, I can't wait to meet all of them, especially your momma."

Sheldon stepped close to her and enveloped her in his arms. "Listen Penny…" he started sadly. "I don't know how things will go with you and my mom, so don't be upset or discouraged if…"

Penny jumped back. "You don't think she'll like me? You don't think she'll like me?! But, everyone likes me!"

"No! Not _you_!" his voice was reassuring. "Just the whole relationship _situation_. I haven't even told her about Lana. If she knows, it's because Missy spilled to her, but in our last phone conversation, she didn't mention it. She doesn't know I'm dating again, much less serious enough to get married. Plus, our age difference. And all of this without her having a part in it? I just think she will be a little resistant at first."

"Maybe she _can_ have a part in it," Penny tilted her head.

He narrowed his eyes, wondering what the beautiful blonde could have in mind.


	32. Cute Together

_I do not own TBBT...just in case you were wondering._

* * *

Mary Cooper was beyond thrilled to find out her baby, Sheldon, was coming to visit her. He kept in touch on the phone, though not as well as Missy, but it just wasn't the same as seeing him in person. He said he had a surprise.

When he had called to tell her he was coming, he informed her that his wife Lana had passed away, due to a tragic accident. He also said that before the accident, they were probably heading toward divorce anyway.

She shook her head. Mary Cooper did _not_ believe in divorce. The fact that Sheldon Lee even considered it worried her.

Yet he seemed…happy. He seemed refreshed, invigorated, almost giddy. For a man who just almost went through a divorce, and instead went through a death, he was unusually cheerful.

She was standing in front of Ocean Pines Assisted Living facility, watering the landscaping as she often volunteered to do. She could have sworn she heard a familiar voice saying, "Mom."

She looked up, the sun shining brightly in her face. She covered her eyes to shield them from the brightness and saw a silhouette in the distance: tall, long, lean. Her son.

"Shelly?" she asked.

Finally, her man-child stepped into clear view, and she saw twinkles dancing off his clear blue eyes, the ones he got from his daddy, despite what she told everyone.

"Hey mom." He stepped forward and hugged her stiffly.

She stepped back to look her son up and down. As he sounded on the phone, he looked happy and healthy.

"Oh, baby boy, you are a sight for sore eyes," she said in a thick accent.

"You look great, Mom."

"I feel great. Even better today."

Beside Sheldon, a young girl stepped up next to him. She was wearing a blouse with a floral pattern and a pair of jeans. She was a pretty girl, not a feminine beauty like her daughter has been in her youth, but pretty all the same. She had the heartiness of a farm girl, something Texans truly appreciate, and the blonde hair and green eyes of one of them California heathen types.

"Yes, dear? Can I help you find something?" Mary asked hospitably.

She laughed. "No, I'm with him." The young woman pointed to her son.

The older woman was immediately baffled, reaching far back into her memory to see if there was something she was forgetting. Is it possible he had a long lost daughter? If so, the girl took completely after her mother, because she looked _nothing_ like him.

Sheldon spoke up, seeing his mother struggling. "Yes, Mom, she is with me." She knew she must be having some sort of illusion when her son reached over and grasped the girl's hand affectionately. "As in, _romantically_." He added.

Was her son trying to make her keel over? Was the sky spinning for anyone else? "This…this _teenager_ is your girlfriend?" she choked out.

He gave her a glare. "Mother. Her name is Penelope. She is _not_ a teenager; she is a grown woman. And, she isn't my girlfriend. She's my fiancée."

"No she isn't."

"Yes, we're going to get married."

"No, you aren't."

"Mom," he said gently, "let's go inside and talk."

She could only nod, not knowing which way was up and which way was down.

The hussy got the door for them, and as Shelly escorted her inside, she received a smile from her. "It is really nice to finally meet you."

_Nice to meet you, my rear end._

_..._

The three sat in some chairs in the great room area. Mary was reeling from the amount of information she was attempting to take in. They had been seeing each other for a while. They were madly and passionately in love with each other. She was 25 years old, which was much older than she had her pegged for. They were (gulp) living together.

Surely her baby boy and this girl weren't…

_Oh God, is this room spinning now, too?_

She reached out and clasped Penny's hands between her own. "Penelope, dear, I am sure you are a lovely girl…"

"She is," her son interjected.

"But not for him."

"Mother!"

"Mrs. Cooper," the blonde spoke politely, "I love your son, very deeply. We are perfect for each other. We click. I've even…strained my relationship with my family because I want to be with him."

"That's nice, dear, but the age difference…it is just too much."

"Mother," Sheldon raised his voice slightly. "Daddy was older than you."

"By ten years, Shelly Bean. This makes that look like nothin'."

"We love each other, Mother."

"Then adopt her!" she was frustrated. "No 55-year-old man has any business marryin' a young thing anyway." Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the blonde's ears perk up.

"Well, we are going to get married."

"I forbid it!"

The way he chuckled irritated her. "Mom, we're getting married. With your blessing or not. With your permission or not. I didn't come here for your approval. I came so that you could meet the woman I'm in love with."

Starting to get a headache, she rubbed her temples with her time-wearied hands. "I just don't get it, Shelly. Last I knew, you 'n' Lana were gettin' along just fine. Next I hear, she's dead, you were gonna divorce her…"

The thought stuck in her head.

"You were going to divorce her."

The gears fell into place.

"Because of _her_."

Both other people went silent.

She turned to Penny with a murderous glare. "You little _homewrecker_."

Sheldon stood immediately. "No mother, she is _not_ a homewrecker. I love her, and she loves me. You are to show her some respect. If you can't, we'll go get in the car and drive straight back to Nebraska. Don't tempt me."

She certainly didn't approve of this situation, but she didn't want to miss out on time with her son. She sucked it up and ground out sweetly, "I'm sorry, dear. That was inappropriate of me."

Still standing, Sheldon helped Penny up. "Now, if you will excuse us, we have a hotel room to check into." His eyes quirked in a challenging way, reminiscent of the way she challenged his father so many times. "Yes, that's right. Room. As in one. _One_ room. _One_ bed. That's not a problem, is it?"

She bit her tongue. Through gritted teeth, she spoke. "No, dear, not at all."

"Good. We'll be back to take you out to dinner around 7, is that alright, Mom?"

She sighed. "I'd like that."

* * *

They were walking through the lobby, to the exit, as if nothing had happened. Sheldon noticed the tiniest of twitches on Penny's lips.

"Yes?"

"55?" she asked.

"Yes, I am 55. You never asked."

"I didn't think you were a day over 40."

He rolled his eyes. "Now, Penelope, Michael is 29. Surely, you knew I didn't have a child at that age. I told you I was in college. I wasn't in college that young."

She shrugged. "I thought maybe you were one of those beautiful mind genius guys or something."

"Does it…bother you?" he asked nervously, as they made their way out into the Texas sunshine.

"_Bother_ me? Are you kidding? If anything, I find you _more_ attractive."

They stopped so she could face him. "Older men know how to treat a woman. They know exactly how to please a lady."

He felt her arms go around his waist, as he hugged her back. "That we do."

* * *

Mary watched as the pair disappeared down the long lobby walkway, arms linked with each other, Sheldon's hand resting on her forearm.

She followed them slowly, and looked through the floor-to-ceiling windows as they stood outside in an embrace.

Penny tilted her head up to look at her son. The look on the girl's face was one of pure admiration. Elvis Presley himself could have walked right by them and she would have eyes only for him.

She then saw her son brush Penelope's bangs off her forehead. Then, he lowered his lips to hers for a sweet kiss. Then, he kissed her forehead and then finally the top of her head. During this, the blonde closed her eyes and smiled happily.

_Oh crap. They're cute together._

* * *

The pair walked back through the doors a while later, not nearly as chummily as they departed. They were bickering, with Penny getting the final word.

"We'll talk about this_ later_, Sheldon," she glared at the older man, nearly bumping right into Mary Cooper, who was waiting right by the door. "Oh, oops, sorry Mrs. Cooper, I didn't see you standing there."

"That's quite alright dear."

"Ready to go, Mom? Do I need to go somewhere and check you out?"

She gave him the stink eye. "Sheldon Lee Cooper, this is not a home for invalids. Perfectly healthy, independent individuals live here. We can come and go as we please."

"Of course, Mother. I didn't mean to offend. Why don't I go pull the car up to the curb for you?" It was more of a statement than a question. He dipped his head to kiss Mary on the cheek and returned outside.

Penny huffed and folded her arms.

"Something wrong, dear?" Mary asked sweetly.

"Your son, he is just_ so_ particular sometimes."

Mary laughed softly. "Yes, he is."

"Get this. So, the other day, I was doing his laundry. We ran out of dryer sheets. I went to the store, and I was going to buy the Downy, but they were out of Downy. They had Bounce. Now, for one, Bounce is cheaper. And, my mother always used Bounce, and Bounce always seemed fine by me, so I bought that instead, brought it home, and used those."

Mary nodded along.

"Well, he didn't notice anything until we were unpacking the clothes at the hotel. He would have noticed, but _I_ packed his luggage for him because he wouldn't have time…he was busy at work all week. I thought I was doing a good thing. Well, he caught a whiff of something, because he turned to me and was all like, 'These aren't Downy sheets. We are supposed to use Downy sheets.'"

Mrs. Cooper was familiar with her son. "Yup, that's Shelly for you."

"It gets worse. So, he is yelling at me about it. Now, he can't use the clothes that I packed for him, because the ones that were dried with Bounce have _contaminated_ all the other clothes. So, he says that all the clothes have to be re-washed." Penny rolled her eyes. "I told him, fine, that he could do that when we got back from dinner. Guess what he said to me? 'Penny, _you_ are the one that made the mistake._ You_ should be the one to fix it.'"

This time, Mary shook her head.

"I tried to explain to him the situation, that they were out of Downy, and what does he say? That I should have driven around until I _found the Downy_. He's obsessed with Downy. Downy, Downy, Downy," she grumbled.

Mary Cooper smiled to herself. "It's because I always used Downy when he was growing up."

Penny was immediately apologetic. "Oh, I'm sorry Mrs. Cooper, I didn't mean…"

Mary held up her hand. "No, dearie, it's funny. You see, as a woman on a budget and a coupon queen myself, I always preferred Bounce as well. But, I knew that my little Shelly would pitch a fit. So for years, years, I saved a Downy container, bought the Bounce, and put it inside the Downy container so he wouldn't know the difference. He was using Bounce growing up, and he didn't even realize it."

"Oh my goodness!"

"I may not be a smarty pants doctor like he is, but don't tell me I don't know nothin' about placebo and experimentin.'"

Penny's voice softened. "It's just…if he would have peeked his head in the laundry room just _one time_ in the past week, he would have _known_ it was Bounce. But, he didn't, because_ I_ do his laundry for him. Just like_ I_ pack for him. And, I'm happy to do it, because I love him. It just…"

"It hurts when he doesn't seem to appreciate what you do for him," Sheldon's mother finished.

"Exactly."

They saw the car pull up, and Penny walked Mary to the car, helping her to get into the front passenger seat. She slid into the back seat behind his mother.

She looked up, and Sheldon's eyes caught hers briefly in the rear view mirror. She instantly looked down at her lap and remained that way the rest of the ride.

* * *

Things were cordial but chilly at the restaurant between them, but Sheldon was enjoying his time catching up with his mother on Michael and his work and life.

As much as he tried to give Penny the cold shoulder, he couldn't help but catch her glance across the table, and the corners of his lip curling up was completely involuntary.

Somewhere between finishing their meal and having dessert, Penny. "I need to use the ladies room. Excuse me."

Sheldon's eyes drifted, as he watched her leave.

"Hmm…hmm…hmm," Mary smiled at her son. "You really care about that girl, don't you?"

"I do, Mom. I care about her a lot. Very much so."

"I can tell. Shelly, your momma is getting up there in age, but my mind is still sharp as a tack."

"I have no doubt."

"You two have been together for a while, haven't ya? I can tell. And, your wife has been gone for…not a while. We've all done the math."

Sheldon swallowed, as he was unsure how to respond.

"Now, listen here, baby boy. You know that I don't approve of what you did. Marriage is sacred. That said, as a Christian woman, I am a woman of forgiveness. There's no point in dwellin' on the past, I say."

"Thanks, Mother."

"Now, are her parents righteous, God fearin' folks?" his mother inquired.

He started out with something close to the truth. "Early in our relationship, Penny told me quite forcefully that she was a Christian, her parents were Christians, and her kids would be Christians."

Sheldon took in the smile on his mother's face. Technically, she had told him that in the context of explaining why they could not pursue each other romantically, but his mom didn't need to know that.

Now for the part that wasn't quite the truth, or actually not at all the truth:

"Actually, that's partially the reason her and her family are on the outs."

"Oh?"

"Her parents go to one of those megachurches, you know? The kind where there are thousands of people and people passing out and screaming at each other?" He knew of his mother's distaste for such grandeur.

"I see," she replied tight-lipped. "Well, diff'rent strokes for diff'rent folks, I always say."

He snickered to himself. She_ did_ always say, right before she criticized the people anyway.

"Well, Penny decided she wanted to attend church with me, at my smaller church, kind of like the one you and Daddy used to take us to."

She nodded.

"They didn't like that too much. They were upset that she stopped going to their church to start attending Sunday services with me, so...there was a blowup about that."

"Well, I am sure they'll understand eventually. If you two are gettin' hitched, after all, she would have joined your church at some point, right?"

"Right."

"So, dear, have you two lovebirds set a date yet? Any plans?"

"Well, we were thinking maybe overseas somewhere." Sheldon noticed the frown on his mother's face. "Ireland, maybe?"

At this, she perked right back up. "Oh, Ireland! Well that would be a _fine_ choice. Lots of fine people in that nation. Faithful, too."

"Yes, and Penelope has an Irish ancestry, too, so I think her parents…if they ever come around, will approve as well."

"How could they not?"

"You are invited, of course. I understand if the trip would be too much for you. It will probably be about 12 hours total each way."

She reached up and patted his cheek. "Sweetiepie, I would _walk_ 12 hours to be at your wedding."

"I know, Mom."

"So, a date?"

He stopped short of telling her to plan for sometime around Christmas. "Well, actually, here's the thing about that. Penny and I…things were great when we were dating. But, now that we're living together, we fight a lot."

Mary's voice was thick with concern. "What do you guys fight about, baby?"

"Nothing really." He hesitated. "Actually, everything. I…I guess what I'm saying is the engagement right now is…tentative."

Mary smiled, as she saw Penny approaching the table. "Well, son, I have _just_ the remedy for that. Don't you worry."

Penny arrived to the table, and almost right after, their desserts were delivered.

"Sheldon, Penny, while you are visiting, I do have a favor to ask."

"Of course, Mrs. Cooper," the blonde replied. "Name it."

"Well, I was hoping that maybe Sunday morning, before you leave, you would escort me to church?"

"Uhhh…."

"They have a weekly interdenominational service at the center, but it's just not the same. It's been such a spell since I have been in an actual house of the Lord," the elderly woman said wistfully.

Confusion and defiance crossed Sheldon's features. His fiancée must have seen it, too, but it didn't stop her from putting a bright smile on her face, and nodding sweetly.

"Of course, Mrs. Cooper. Of course we'll do that for you."

Mary grinned. "Wonderful dear, what a peach you are." She leaned closer to her son and spoke quietly. "Nothin' like prayer together to soothe the soul."

She gave him a little thumbs up, and he forced a smile on his face.

* * *

The next afternoon, Penny was relaxing in their room's Jacuzzi tub, wishing desperately that Sheldon was right there beside her…or behind her…or whatever.

She had insisted that he and his mother needed some bonding alone time, so she agreed to bow out of the day's activities. He had gone to pick up his mother, take her to breakfast, and then run her to the shopping district so that she could do some errands.

She knew there were many other things to talk about, but she wondered how much they spoke about her. And what he was telling his mother. And how his mother would view her when it was all over.

Soon, Sheldon would come by with his mother to get dressed and pick her up. Mary had talked them into an evening at the nearby Indian casino, which wasn't all that nearby, as it was a good half an hour away.

As she took in the pleasure that the warm water brought her, she knew that she needed to get out and start getting all dolled up. She looked down at her fingernails, admiring the perfect white slivers on her French tip manicure. Not a chip or crack in sight, despite soaking in the tub for a generous amount of time. The salon had done an excellent job.

After stepping from the tub, drying herself off and then spending a good amount of time drying her hair, she stepped into the main room and looked in the closet. Luckily, she had had the foresight to bring a nice dress. _Un_luckily, it was not the kind of dress she planned to wear in front of Sheldon's mother. She brought it, just in case they were to have a romantic dinner, just the two of them.

She really didn't know what had come over her when she decided to buy said dress. It was by far sexier than anything she owned. It was even more daring than the satin red dress that she wore to the theater often that she knew blew her fiancé's mind. This dress was a midnight blue color, but that was about the only part of it that was understated. The hem hit her mid thigh. It had a halter neckline, exposing the expanse of her sun-kissed back and shoulders. It was very tight, so tight she wasn't sure she would be able to walk normally. But, it had to be tight, because the main feature of the dress was a plunging neckline that left nothing to the imagination. There would be no wearing a bra in this dress.

But, it was the only decent thing she had brought to wear. Sheldon insisted that she could not go to the casino with them in jeans and a blouse. So, it would have to do.

She put her hair up in a curly updo, revealing her neck and shoulders in a seductive fashion. She fastened some jewels to her wrist and neck, and then slipped her feet into a pair of low heels. Just about that time, Sheldon came through the door.

He inspected her outfit, and she felt uncomfortable under his gaze. "Are you sure…you want to wear that?" His voice was tender, not critical.

"It's all I have, babe. You said no jeans."

"I did," he rubbed his mouth, as he was slack jawed. "I could have picked you up something while Mom and I were out."

"That's okay."

"Well, I best get ready. Mom is down in the lobby, waiting for us. Would you mind going and keeping her company?"

"Sure," Penny said sweetly. She grabbed her purse, kissed his cheek, and then walked out the door.

* * *

Mary Cooper looked up to see his son's fiancée walking toward her looking every bit like a showgirl. She apparently did not hide her shock well.

"Hello, Mrs. Cooper. I'm sorry about this," the girl motioned to her outfit. "I hardly ever dress like this. Ever. But, Sheldon said it was a dressy occasion, and this was all I had with me."

Mary motioned Penelope to sit down. "Don't you worry, dear. I do wonder though…"

"Yes?"

"You look _exactly_ what I would expect the young bride of an older man with money to look like."

Penny gasped. "Mrs. Cooper, I _assure_ you, my feelings for your son have nothing to do with his wealth."

"Hmmm."

"Mrs. Cooper, I care very deeply for your son."

"Can you enlighten me then, Penelope, to how you two came to be?"

The blonde got a faraway look, like she was remembering, and then began to talk. "I honestly can't remember when and how it started. One minute, I was seeing him at the theater we both attend, and then, something changed."

"Just like that?"

"Yes, kind of…just like that. I started to feel something for him, a connection, like there was some spiritual bond between us. We were just always very in tune with the other's presence."

"Sounds intense."

"It was! Especially for me, considering he was…well, you know…married. I didn't know anything about him, not that he was a doctor or had money or any of that. All I knew is when I saw him walk in, I got butterflies in my stomach or chills up my spine or both. Then, we met and got to know each other, and I realized that these crazy feelings I was having weren't entirely one-sided."

"I see."

"Mary, I would _never_ disparage your son. I love him. But, you should know…_he_ invited _me_ to dinner. _He_ kissed _me_ first. Now, I was receptive, don't get me wrong. I was as attracted to him as he was to me."

"Yes, but he was an older man entranced by the beauty of a younger woman, the forbidden fruit."

Penny shook her head. "No, ma'am. It wasn't like that. I mean, I am sure it was a little bit. Like I said, we had this bond, this _link_. I'm not sure I can describe it."

"You don't have to," the older woman said gently.

The girl's green eyes met her own. "Mrs. Cooper, I love your son with everything I am. I intend to take good care of your son. You know in the Bible where it talks about forsaking all others?" She was impressed with her invocation of Scripture. "About how the husband and wife leave their own parents and devote their entire life to their spouse? Well, I am doing that. I _literally_ have forsaken my father to be with Sheldon."

"You love him very much, don't you?"

"Very much so."

* * *

Penny sat in the back seat, and Sheldon was scowling at how exposed his gorgeous fiancée was. His eyes moved to the rear view mirror much more often than could be considered safe.

"I cannot believe that is the only thing you brought," he muttered.

"I said I was sorry!"

"I'm not sure I feel comfortable with you wearing that garment in public. It covers a very insufficient amount of skin."

"Shelly," Mary said gently, patting his thigh.

"I'm sorry, Mother. I just don't know who she's trying to impress. I've already seen it all."

"It's all I had," she repeated. "Maybe I should have just stayed back at the hotel," she added in a dejected voice.

"Well, maybe this will teach you to be more prepared when planning for a weekend trip," he scolded.

"You're right," she whispered.

...

He escorted his mother into the casino by the arm as Penny followed behind.

"I've never been to a casino before," the young girl said as she looked all around her.

"Well, then maybe you should look, but don't touch," Sheldon said over his shoulder.

"Maybe."

"Nonsense, darlin'," Mary said, while pointing. "You can play the slots. Those are easy enough."

"Yeah, slots sound fun."

"Very well," the surgeon accepted. "You go play your slots, while Mother and I will handle the big boy tables. Right, Mother?"

Mary Cooper looked distinctly uncomfortable. "Um, right."

* * *

Penny rolled her eyes as she walked off to get coins for the slots.

She could tell that Mary seemed put off by Sheldon's treatment of her, and for that much, she was grateful.

She played slots for a while, and she quite enjoyed it. She saw the mother and son pair over at the craps table. She really wanted to try roulette. And, she was actually very adept at poker, and wanted to give the Texas Hold 'Em table a shot. In the end, she decided to try her chances at the Blackjack table. It was easy enough. Low risk, low reward.

After a few rounds of Blackjack, she found them still at the craps table. "Hey guys, how's it going?"

"I still got it," Mary grinned.

"Penelope, did I see you over at the Blackjack table?" Sheldon questioned.

"Uh, yes?"

"Hmm. I see."

"Is something wrong?"

"I believe my instructions to you were 'Look but don't touch.' I extended generosity by letting you play the slots, but that just wasn't good enough. You had to push the boundaries." His eyes lingered over her.

"Are you still talking about this stupid dress?"

"Well, if you _must_ ask, your appearance tonight has clearly not gone unnoticed by a number of men."

She honestly hadn't noticed. She had eyes only for Sheldon.

She glared at him, and then said, "I am going to use the restroom, if you both will excuse me."

As she made her way to the restroom, she came across a polite waiter.

"Hello, miss, may I offer you a beverage?"

"Oh no, no thank you." She glanced over at her tall fiancé, and smirked. "Actually, can you put that tray down for just a moment?"

The waiter set his tray down on the nearest empty table. "Yes, miss?"

She leaned up very closely to his ear and whispered. "Play along."

* * *

Sheldon looked over to see his Penny pressed up dangerously close to the waiter, whispering into his ear. But, she stepped back, to maintain a friendly distance.

The waiter then started to point to something on the wall, placing his hand to the small of her back, as he guided her to whatever they were inspecting. His hand was very low. Sheldon was seething.

The two turned to face each other yet again. He saw Penny from behind, and she placed her hands gently on the waiter's forearms, as she looked up at him. They were then exchanging small pieces of paper…phone numbers?

By this point, Mary had also stopped to watch the scene unfold before her.

He saw Penny point behind her in that direction, and the man's eyes looked up to meet his own. Penny and the waiter then embraced. As the gentleman's head nestled into Penny's shoulder, he looked up and gave him an evident wink.

He looked down at his mother, to see if she also saw what was taking place. Then, as the two were hugging, he saw the waiter take one finger, and lightly drag it just along the top of her dress in the back between the shoulder blades, perhaps even dipping it slightly underneath it. That was it.

He marched over to the pair and cleared his throat. "Excuse me?" They stepped apart from each other. And in one motion, Sheldon hit the man square in the jaw, knocking him to the ground.

Penny's eyes went wide. "Holy crap, Sheldon!" She then turned the man on the ground. "I'm so sorry, I didn't know he'd hit you…oh my gosh…oh my gosh…oh my gosh."

"This, sir, is my _fiancée_, and I would appreciate it if you kept your hands off her," he growled.

"Shel, it's not what it looks like. You are completely misunderstanding this…"

"_This_ is what happens when you were something like_ that_," he pointed at her outfit. "Cash in your chips, Mother. We're leaving."

The last thing he saw before stomping out the door, was Penny bending down to help the injured waiter, apologizing incessantly, and his mother standing there, stunned.

* * *

The next morning, Mary was pleased that her son arrived at 7:30 on the dot. He was always prompt. His mood had seemed to improve slightly since the deathly silent car ride home the previous evening.

"Ready, Mom?"

"Sure thing, baby. You know how to get there?"

"Plugged it into the GPS when I got here."

"This newfangled technology, I tell you what."

"Ready?" he asked again.

She started digging through her purse. "Yes, I want to make sure I have everything- my glasses, medication, cash for the collection…Sheldon, dear, is Penelope out in the car?"

"No."

"Well, where _is_ she?"

"I don't really know."

They made their way out to Sheldon's car and started down the road toward the place of worship.

"How do you not know?" she asked.

"Well, she left last night, and checked into her own hotel room. I don't know which one. And, she wouldn't answer her phone. We had a fight."

Mary was concerned. "And you don't know where she is?"

He waved his hand. "Ah, don't worry about it. Check-out is this morning, and I am her ride back to Nebraska. She'll show by the time I get back."

"Dear, your fight…was it about last night?"

"Nah."

"Was it about the laundry?"

"No, not this time."

"What then?"

"Well, while you and I were out yesterday, Penny decided to treat herself to a manicure at the hotel salon."

"Okay?" Mary was confused.

"It costs _twice_ as much at the hotel as it would at any other nail salon. Three times as much as her regular lady back in Omaha. She could have had it done before we left or waited until we got back. She was being frivolous."

"Now, Shelly," she frowned at her son. "You can't let these little things like laundry and manicures come between you. Why are you acting like this?"

He shrugged his shoulders. "It's– me and Penny, I mean– it's harder than I thought it would be."

"Good," she said conclusively. "It _should_ be hard. But, Penelope has made a great deal of sacrifices to be with you. Givin' up her family, staying at home takin' care of you."

"And I am grateful, but…"

"But nothin'. I've noticed a different side to you Shelly Bean. You are more controlling. Less understanding."

"I suppose you think that means Penny and I are bad for each other, then?"

"Actually no. I think it means you care for her more deeply than any of the others. I think it is _entirely_ possible you guys are wonderful for each other." She saw the grin spread across her son's face. "But, you work on reinin' in that temper, okay?"

"Okay," he agreed, pulling up to the church parking lot.

As they walked across the road, they saw a taxi cab pull up to the entrance, and Penelope jumped out, frantic. "Why did you leave without me?!"

Her son was quiet. "I didn't think you were coming."

"I _said_ I was going to come to church with you guys, didn't I? I waited and waited in the lobby, till I finally realized you must have left without me."

"I went out through the back door," Sheldon admitted.

The blonde tilted her head. "Huh. I guess the car _was_ in the back, wasn't it? Sorry, I guess I thought you'd come to the lobby looking for me."

Mary interrupted the moment. "Okay dears, we better get inside and get a seat." She rushed them up the steps and into the church.

* * *

Sheldon and Penny walked out of the church, hand in hand, with Mary following behind, a smile on her face.

The couple had eyes only for each other and looked just as in love as ever before.

She looked at them knowingly. "Didn't I _say_ there was nothin' broken that a little bit of church couldn't fix?"

"You did, Mother," Sheldon smiled. "Shall we get you back to Ocean Pines?"

She cleared her throat. "Um, actually, I think I am going to stay behind for the social hour, maybe talk with the Reverand. I'll get a ride or call a taxi."

"Are you sure?" Penny asked.

"Positive."

"Well," Sheldon replied, "I guess we will get back to the hotel so we can get our luggage and check out, then we'll be off." He took his mother into a long hug.

"It was good seeing you, my Shelly. You let me know about that weddin' of yours, okay?"

"We will."

"It was wonderful you meet you, Mrs. Cooper," Penny stepped forward to hug the white-haired lady.

"Likewise, my dear. But, you should call me Mary. Pretty soon you'll be callin' me Mom anyway."

Penny laughed. "Yes, I suppose I will."

They said their goodbyes once again, and returned across the road. Sheldon held the door open for Penny before walking around and slipping into the driver's seat.

They both stared straight ahead, until out of the corner of his eye, he saw Penny hold up her hand, balling up her fingers tightly. Without so much as a glance, he mirrored her action, giving her a fist bump.

He kept his eyes on the road and his voice as steady as possible. "Penelope, I believe when we get back to Nebraska, I am going to show you _just_ how brilliant I think you are."

He didn't have to look at her to know that her lips were curling at the corners, only slightly.

* * *

Three weeks after getting Mary Cooper on board, the couple was preparing for their engagement party. All the food and everything was ready. Now, they were just waiting for their guests to arrive.

Michael and Caty arrived slightly early, as Caty had agreed to bring some desserts, including an adorable assortment of cupcakes with their initials, little hearts, or fondant rings sitting on top.

Penny could feel her nerves getting to her. This would be the first time they would be meeting a lot of their guests as an official couple. Some of them, Sheldon's sister included, they had never met, and they anticipated a bit of shock.

Missy lived about an hour away, up on the north side of Omaha. Sheldon only saw her about once a month, which she found kind of sad. She would have given anything for siblings.

Confused about the Texas connection, Sheldon had explained that his mother and father had met in Texas, and raised the family there for the first few years of his life. However, a company promotion took the family to Omaha, Nebraska. It was what he considered home growing up. He attended undergrad at the University of Nebraska. In the mean time, Sheldon's father got another promotion, back to headquarters in Texas.

Missy, who had established a number of friendships and connections stayed in Omaha. George, who was Texan through and through, had decided to return with their parents. Not wanting to disappoint his mother, Sheldon had decided to attend med school in Texas, so he could be close to his parents. His sister hadn't taken it so well, as she was certain her youngest brother would stay with her.

Cathy had followed him to Texas, with Michael. They had been able to get better scholarships and grants as a married couple with a child than they would have been able separately, as well as a stipend toward housing.

When they both finished medical school, his soon-to-be ex wife explained that she was returning home to Nebraska, so that she could be with her soon-to-be fiancé, as well as so Michael could be near his maternal grandparents. Mary Cooper had been livid over that decision, not wanting to be separated from her grandchild either. However, Sheldon had reasoned that since Cathy was the one who bore the child, breast fed the child, and would mostly raise the child, he deferred to her desires. But, he too, wanting to be near his son, had chosen to return to Omaha.

So, there they were.

As crazy and dramatic as it all seemed to Penny– she had grown up with one core family in one core place– at least he was still on speaking terms with his family, something she couldn't necessarily attest to.

...

Half an hour into the party, with things in full swing, Penny stepped inside to get more hamburger buns for Sheldon the Grill Master.

The doorbell rang. She was half tempted to yell for them to come right in, but wanting to be a gracious hostess, just in case it was one of Sheldon's friends or co-workers, she decided to answer the door properly.

She gasped as she opened the door and her mother stepped forward, giving her a hug.

She closed her eyes, savoring the closeness, before pulling away some time later.

"Mom," her eyes shimmered. "It is so good to see you. I'm glad you came."

Her mother looked around. "I had to see this grand estate my daughter now calls home, didn't I?"

"Yeah, it's pretty amazing, isn't it?" Penny added sadly, "It's still nothing like home."

"Well, I brought gifts!" her mother said excitedly.

"Oh, momma, you didn't have to! We weren't expecting anything. Obviously, we don't need it."

"Oh, I think you do," Jo held up a delicate garment bag. "One gift is from me."

Penny unzipped the bag and nearly burst into tears. It was the veil her mother had worn. And her grandmother. And her great-grandmother. "It's beautiful. _Thank_ you. This means more to me than just about anything I can imagine."

Her mom smiled. "Speaking of, one gift is from your fiancé. He worked very, very hard on it."

She looked around, not seeing any sort of package. She gave her mother a confused look.

"Dear," her mother spoke, and she waited for her to continue. It was briefly thereafter, she realized her mom wasn't speaking to her after all, when her father's figure stood in the doorway.

"Oh my God," she sobbed, as she ran forward to squeeze her Daddy. "I thought…I never thought…"

"I know, honey, I know," he patted her back gently.

She cried into her father's shoulder, before pulling away, wiping at her eyes and trying to compose herself. "_Sheldon_ did this?" She glanced back through the open patio doors to see him still socializing.

Wyatt sighed. "He did." His voice got stern again. "But, Penelope, if he steps one _toe_ out of line when it comes to you…"

She hugged him again. "Oh, Daddy. Thank you for being here. How do you feel about Ireland?"

After a bit, she guided them through the home to introduce them to everyone.

...

Eventually, she took the buns outside to Sheldon. He greeted her with a kiss.

"Everyone seems to be getting on well," he noted, while placing the patties onto the buns on a plate.

Everyone outside had congregated at the table and chairs or around the pool by this point.

"Yes," she agreed. "My parents are here."

He finished up with the burgers and then shut the grill. She wrapped her arms around his waist, snuggling into him, as he put his arm around her shoulder.

"I saw."

"You should have joined us."

"I thought you and your parents should have some privacy."

"That's sweet of you," she closed her eyes. "But, I always want you by my side. Always."

"I will always be by your side," he kissed the top of her head.

* * *

Missy sat at the kitchen island with Wyatt and Jo, chatting. Her eyes drifted out the doors to the engaged pair. The couple's eyes followed.

"Oh geez," Wyatt groaned.

Jo hit him playfully. "Stop it, hon. They are in love."

"Oh geez," he groaned even louder, banging his head against the counter.

Missy spoke up. "I had my doubts when I met Penny. I thought my brother done gone and lost his mind, havin' some sort of mid-life crisis. But, ugh, they are _dang_ cute together."

Joanna smiled. "They are very cute together."


	33. The Decision

**_Greetings, fellow Earthlings! A new update I bring you._**

* * *

Penny forced herself to open her eyes after a quite peaceful sleep. She stifled a chuckle. Sheldon was pressed up against her, holding onto her possessively as they slept. His arms wound around her tightly as his face pressed into her shoulder.

No matter how many times she assured him that she wasn't going anywhere, he still felt the need to take precautions, it seemed.

She twisted a little bit, hoping that the movement would stir Sheldon from his slumber, but all it did was lead to him grasping her tighter. She rolled her eyes in exasperation. She touched his arm gently, shaking it a little bit. "Shelly, Shelly, wake up."

He didn't flinch, so she spoke louder. "Sheldon!"

His voice rumbled contentedly. "Mmmm. Mine."

"Yes, dear, I'm yours," she replied half-heartedly.

He either went back to sleep or wasn't fully awake the first time. So, she shook him again. "Sheldon!"

This time, his eyes shot open, but he didn't release his hold.

"What?" his voice was thick with sleep.

"It's time to get up. Come on." Penny tried to shimmy out of his hold.

"Nope, no work today." He kissed her neck sensually, letting his fingers trail just along the hemline of her white camisole.

"Sheldon," she moaned in protest.

Penny then felt his fingers start to drift softly underneath the fabric of her shirt, tickling her skin. His lips had moved to trail along her shoulder.

"Shel, we don't have time, I have a meeting in…" she looked at the clock and then shot up, "a half hour!"

He rolled off her and onto his back in defeat. "What kind of meeting do you have at…" he leaned over to look at the clock as well, "6:30 in the morning?"

"I am meeting with our wedding planner," she said standing up and going to the closet to grab some clothes. "We have a Skype session planned with the event coordinator in Ireland. They are six hours ahead of us, and the next available slot was in three weeks! I had to take it."

"Okay," he resigned. "Big plans?"

"Well, of course, I will run everything by you first. But, yes, we have some ideas."

"Well, I have some ideas too. But mine are more _post_-wedding in nature."

She tugged on a pair of jeans and fastened them. "You're ridiculous."

"Mmmm." He covered his eyes with the crook of his elbow.

"Hey, did you want to come?"

He lifted his arm to look at her. "What?"

"Well, this is your wedding too. Don't you want some say?"

"I want you to have the wedding of your dreams. That's all I need."

"Aww, that's so sweet," she walked around and placed a kiss on his lips. "But, I'm still not getting back in bed with you. Gotta go. Bye!"

...

After her intensive planning session, her mom agreed to meet with her at Maxine's Bridal Salon to look for wedding gowns.

Jo and Penny were browsing the racks when a pleasant woman approached them.

"Hi, I'm Erica!"

"Penny," the blonde shook the lady's hand. "This is my mom Joanna."

"Pleased to meet you both. And, I assume congratulations are in order."

Penny held up her left hand to show off her sparkler. "Yes ma'am."

"Well, I'd be happy to help. Do you know what you are looking for? Any particular designers? Styles?"

She already felt overwhelmed. "Um, no?"

Her mother spoke up. "This is her first time trying on dresses. It's all new to her."

Erica replied patiently, "That's perfectly fine. Well, how about you tell me what you like?"

Penny sighed. "It's hard to describe. You see, my fiancé, he's…mature…"

"My age," Jo interrupted.

"Mother…"

"Just saying, Pen."

"Anyway, he is mature, so I think he would appreciate something classic and traditional. And, I think that's what I like too."

"Okay, that's a start. Can you tell me a little about the venue?"

"We are getting married in Ireland. Probably outside. I can tell you what I _don't_ like?"

"That'll work."

"I don't know what the material is called. But, the kind that looks poofy and flowy? I'm not a fan."

"Alright, how about lace?"

"Lace is alright, I _guess_," she scrunched up her nose.

She saw a dress she sort of liked on a mannequin across the store and pointed it out. "That's kind of the shape I like. Except I don't like the weird stuff at the bottom. I like the shape, but I also want to be able to move."

"Well, that's a trumpet style gown, and that gives us a good place to start. Why don't you and your mom browse the racks and pull anything you might like to try on?"

She nodded and started at one end.

Erica yelled from across the salon. "Bling okay?"

"Yeah, I don't mind," she replied back.

She had picked up two gowns to try on.

Erica walked over with one gown in hand. "Why don't we get you started with a room?"

"Okay."

The first piece Penny tried on was definitely not The One. She could barely move in it, and she felt like a stuffed sausage.

"Okay, this is not actually a trumpet style, but mermaid. It is a little bit tighter and more fitted toward the bottom. Trumpet flares out a little higher on the legs, so it has more give to it."

"Yeah, this is definitely not for me."

"Okay, moving on."

While getting her into the next gown, the attendant talked. "Yeah, lace and fluff are very in right now, so we may be facing an uphill battle. But, I have _no_ doubt we will find you something fabulous."

The second of Penny's choices was also a bust, but she was willing to show her mother.

As she stood on the pedestal, Erica told Jo about the gown. "This is Muna by Watters. It comes in ivory only. It has a sweetheart neckline, ruching, and hand beading along the skirt.

Penny spoke to both women at the same time, motioning toward her torso. "I like the upper part of it. This is exactly what I am looking for. I am not loving the skirt though." The skirt part of the dress had weird designs running through it that she just could not get over.

Back in the dressing room, she was now slipping into something Erica had picked.

"Holy mother of God! What the _crap_ is this?!" she shouted loud enough she was sure her mother, and probably the rest of the store heard her.

She was bright red, as she emerged from the dressing room to show Jo.

She was donning a very skimpy dress. "This is Monroe by Monique Lhullier." There wasn't much to be said about this dress. It looked kind of like a nightgown, the loose fabric clinging to every lump and bump on her body. The halter top tied loosely around her neck, but the neckline plunged dangerously low. Add in the sky high slit that left very little to the imagination, and she was surprised her mother was still breathing.

"No," her mother said plainly.

"Penny?" Erica asked.

"Yeah, probably no."

As they got back into the curtained off area, Erica apologized. "I'm sorry. I know it is a little…nontraditional…but I thought you might like the way the waist cinches and the shape of it. I just wanted to give you something a little different to look at."

Penny was still flushed. "No, I'm not mad or anything, I promise. I do like the waist and the shape, and it looks like it would be super easy to move in."

"But?"

"But my fiancé can be a little…" she paused.

"Stodgy?" the woman supplied.

She shook her head. "Amorous."

Erica's eyes went wide. "He's not had the most active sex life, and he has a _lot_ of time to make up for. Anyway, with this dress, I'm afraid we wouldn't make it to our vows. He'd probably have his way with me right there in the middle of the aisle. And, I_ really_ don't want my dad to kill my fiancé on our wedding day."

This time, the gown consultant blushed. "So, we need to keep you covered up. Got it."

...

Despite having a rough go at it in the beginning, Penny started to settle in. It took about a dozen gowns to get into her groove, but an hour later, she found herself torn between two gowns that weren't what she was expecting, but that looked dynamite on her.

Both were by Wtoo. The first was Pandora, and it was the ultimate in class. While it was a little more flared out and soft than she had wanted, she just couldn't stop looking at herself in it. She looked like she was Jackie O, exuding dignified grace.

The dress was simple enough, with an embellished belt. It also included a detachable beaded shrug, which took it from strapless to sleeved. She actually preferred the sleeved look, giving it a regal air that she just loved. If she got that one, she would definitely leave the sleeves in place. The bodice was also pleated, making her waist look tiny. That was definitely a plus.

The next dress was Vega. It was the trumpet style that she had liked. But, it didn't have the ruching that she liked, either. It was a little on the heavy side. However, in place of the ruching, the bodice was beaded with thousands of crystals, from the neckline all the way down to her hips. She sparkled. And, from the back, she definitely looked bootylicious, the dress hugging her curves perfectly.

It was everything she didn't realize she wanted or liked. It was flashy, over-the-top, and luxurious. It didn't really reflect her or their personalities as a couple. But this was a special occasion, and the one time in her life that she would be able to wear such an exorbitant piece of clothing.

Unfortunately, she still waffled back and forth, even when she was back in her street clothes. She and her mom told Erica that they would go have lunch and get back with her if they made a decision.

Erica smiled and thanked them, walking them to the door. She assured them that Penny could try on as many more gowns as she wanted.

The thought _was_ tempting.

* * *

Joanna sat across from her daughter, stabbing at the rotini pasta in vodka sauce on her plate. Penny had chosen a Veggie Panini, no doubt the pressure of fitting into a wedding dress already weighing on her mind.

Her daughter looked up at her with green eyes, so much like her husband's. "Mom?"

"Yes, dear?"

"Could you tell me how…how Sheldon won Dad over?"

"Wow," Jo exhaled a deep breath. "Well, gosh where do I start?"

She spoke for what seemed like hours, but was really only minutes. She had her daughter's undivided attention, except for a brief moment when Penny had asked for a refill on her Peach Iced Tea.

"Well, that man of yours is very intelligent," she began. "He knew _exactly_ how to get under your daddy's skin. As you know, your father is a man of very few weaknesses…but not none. And, Dr. Cooper knew Daddy's Achilles heel."

Penny looked back at her, waiting for her to continue, as if she hadn't understood what her mother was suggesting.

"Me," Jo smiled.

Recognition dawned on her daughter's face, so she continued.

"I imagine that it was easy for him to identify it. You know, as a man in love himself."

The young blonde's cheeks flushed a soft pink, but she said nothing.

"Anyway, that got the ball rolling. Dr. Cooper was able to get through to your father in that respect. I'm sure he suspected that while I would always stand by your father 100%, I was unhappy. And one thing he realized about Wyatt was that he would do _anything_ to make sure I was happy."

A look of tenderness glazed over Penny's eyes.

"A girl needs her mother; that much has always been true. But, I'll let you in on a little secret. A mother needs her child just as much, if not more."

"Well it sounds like that was a good place to start."

"Yes. One day, Daddy gave a little, _just_ a little. He said that while the two of you were still not welcome on _his_ property, and _he_ wasn't going to have anything to do with you, he wouldn't be upset with me if _I_ wanted to be in contact with you."

"Wow, well…is there anything else? I mean, it is an awfully big leap from letting you talk to me to showing up to my engagement party."

Joanna shook her head, smiling. "_So_ much more, you have no idea. In the mean time, your fiancé sent me flowers every single week, with the same message every time: Thank you for Penny. I thought it was rather gentlemanly of him, and it softened me up quite a lot."

"Not bad."

"It gets better. Meanwhile, he sent your father letters regularly, one or two times a week. He would fill him in on what was going on in your lives, talk about his deeply personal feelings for you, even talk about his own history, letting us get to know him."

"And Dad _read_ them?" Penny seemed skeptical.

"I _may_ have encouraged, or demanded it," Jo smiled coyly. "He didn't have to reply, and he never did. He didn't have to like them or enjoy them. He didn't even have to keep them. Reading them was the least he could do."

"I can't believe he went through so much trouble for me."

"You can't? That man is head over heels in love with you, dear. Surely you know?"

"Well yeah…" her daughter blushed.

"Now, your daddy is a big ol' softie. And while he appreciated that the good doctor let him know his little girl was safe and healthy, and he felt better about him as a person reading about his life, it was seeing how he felt about you that really buttered him up."

"So that did it?"

"Oh no no no. That would be far too easy, wouldn't it?"

"I suppose."

"The thing that finally tipped things in your favor was the night you called, ready to call things off. Remember that?" She didn't wait for an answer. "The fried chicken?"

For some reason, Penny's face turned bright red, and her eyes looked away. She nodded.

"Well, your father went huntin' for leftovers, of course. And, I didn't lie. I explained to them where his chicken went, who it went to, and how it got there."

"He wasn't furious?"

Joanna shook her head. "Nope. Just the opposite. He thought that the fact that Dr. Cooper was willing to risk his neck by coming on, or at least _near_, our property when he was strictly forbidden just to make you feel better, to cheer you up…well, he actually found that very noble and decent."

"Yeah, I guess it was," the blonde girl smiled.

"I mean, he could have gotten arrested or God forbid, shot. It's an awful lot to risk just for some fried chicken…all to make you happy. That was the moment that he realized that Dr. Cooper was a good man, and would do everything he could to keep his little girl happy. And, that's all a parent could want for their baby. Someone to take care of them and love them and make them happy."

"I'm so glad he came to that understanding. I really wanted him at the wedding, and it just about broke my heart that he wouldn't be walking me down the aisle."

"Well, I didn't tell you the rest of it. Michael Cooper came and visited us, at the request of his father I'm sure. He brought us boxes of treats from his little girlfriend's bakery."

"Aren't they the best?"

"Daddy more than welcomed the goodies, that's for sure. Anyway, talking to him really calmed us both down. If anyone would have a right to be angry, it would be him, right? But, not only was he not angry, he was incredibly supportive. He was positively glowing telling us about his new girl. And, he explained how good you were for his dad, and that he had never seen him happier. He said that you guys were good together. He even told us about your shenanigans down in Texas to get Granny Cooper on board. Michael's uninhibited approval of your relationship was really the icing on the cake."

"Well, I will definitely make it a point to thank him next time I see him. Maybe one of these days we can go down to the bakery, and I will introduce you to Caty. It's where Sheldon proposed. Cupcake and everything."

She had heard the story before, but she would listen to it a hundred more times, just to be experiencing such a wonderful time in her daughter's life.

...

Once the proposal story was over and the plates had been taken away, Jo spoke. "Soooo…about the dresses. Are you leaning any particular way?"

"Gosh, I wish I knew. It's so hard."

"You don't have to pick today, dear. We can go into the city and try some other shops if you want."

"Yes, but I have to pick soon. As it is, my choices are narrowed down to the designers that can do a rush order. Everything is so last minute, and I have to have my dress even a week earlier, so that I can take it with me on the plane when we fly over there. So that cuts off one whole week from the due date."

"Yes, it is quite a rush. But the good kind, right?"

"Very good. Anyway, I think both dresses are great, and I should be able to get them in plenty of time. I just need to pick one and get measured and be done with it."

After a few moments of silence, a grin came over Penny's face. "I got it. It finally hit me, which one I should choose. God, it was so easy. How could it have been so hard?"

Butterflies fluttered in Jo's stomach. She rubbed her hands together, anxious to hear her daughter's decision.

"You know what I thought of when I tried that beaded gown on? How beautiful I looked in it."

"Well, darling, that's a great choice. It is important that you feel beautiful in what you are wearing. Vega it is!"

She was confused as Penelope shook her head, still smiling. "No, Mom. Don't you _get_ it? With that dress, it was all about how it made _me_ feel. How _I_ looked. How lucky _I_ was to wear such a beautiful gown. How pretty everyone would think _I_ was. You know what the first thing I thought of when I tried the other dress on was?"

Jo shook her head.

"Of _him_. I thought of how he would be looking at me. Of how blown away he would be. Of the look on his eyes when he sees me walking down the aisle. Of how proud I will be to become his wife. _That's_ the dress. I should have realized it all along."

"Never underestimate the power a little bling can have on a girl's brain," she replied, very touched by her daughter's explanation and choice.

* * *

Sheldon was dicing celery in the kitchen when Penny came in from the garage. "Hey, honey, how'd it go?"

She sat her bags down and sighed heavily. "Good, good. I think we got quite a bit accomplished."

"Good for you."

"Yeah, the venue is actually going to let Caty use their kitchen to do our cake after all. She will have to do it in the middle of the night, when it is not in use, but isn't that exciting? I really wanted her to do our cake!"

"Yes, and she was so upset when she realized that there was no way she could ship the cake from here to Ireland."

"I know. She even called one of the cruise ships to see if they would take it on their boat on a transatlantic voyage from New York to London," Penny laughed. "They did say she should probably do a test batch though. Something about change in altitude and oven temperatures and different water."

"Well, are you going to call her, or wait till Wednesday when they come over for dinner?"

"I'll wait. I want to see the look on her face. OH! I got a dress. Well, I didn't _get_ it. But, I got measured and it was ordered."

Sheldon paused his chopping to look up at her. "Will you show me? Do I get a hint? Did you take pictures?"

"No, no, and yes, but no, you don't get to see them. Not till the wedding day."

He frowned and went back to chopping.

Sheldon was secretly loving the wedding planning process. Mind you, he didn't have much to do with the planning part of it, but seeing his lovely fiancée flitting around, a ball of joyous energy, was very gratifying. His first two weddings were justice of the peace affairs. Who would have thought at his age that he would be a part of planning a wedding?

His being deep in thought led to his letting the knife slip, nicking him on the tip of the finger. "Ouch!"

Penny rushed over to him and cradled his hand. "Are you okay? Oh my gosh!"

He dismissed her concern. "Just a tiny cut. I have a first aid kit in the bathroom; I'll go get it fixed up right away."

...

While in the bathroom, he disinfected the area, bandaged it, and wrapped gauze around the tip of the finger. He came out of the bathroom, intending to head toward the kitchen when Penny appeared, shutting the door behind her.

"Yes?" he asked cautiously.

She answered by tackling him to the ground, peppering kisses along his jaw, forehead, cheeks, anywhere on his head she could find. His lips involuntarily puckered to kiss her back, but he was still baffled.

"Kitten, not that I mind this little show of affection, but what's going on?" At this point she was straddling his midsection with a knee on either side of him. He didn't think he could fight his body much longer.

She planted a languorous kiss on his lips before sitting up. "I'm making up for this morning. Sorry I had to leave. But, we can make up for it now."

She stood, and then helped him to his feet. She gently tugged him toward the bed and crawled in.

"We don't have to," he said genuinely.

"Do you not want to?" she asked, seemingly shocked.

"No! It's not that at all. It's just that we don't have to be always repaying each other, 'making up for' something earlier in the day or week, owing each other one, anything like that. We don't have to have that kind of marriage."

"But, what if I _want_ that kind of marriage?"

He felt he was treading dangerous waters. "What?"

"I just mean…if I want to make things up to you, or owe you, or whatever you want to call it...it's because I _want_ to. It's because I love you. If I send you to the store and you forget to bring home milk, and I get annoyed, what better way to make it up to me, what better way for me to show you I forgive you than making love to each other?"

"Yes, it _is_ very enjoyable, but we can talk too."

She held his hand between hers. "Of course we can talk. And we _will_ talk. We talk all the time, don't we?"

He felt heat in his cheeks and looked away in shame. "Penelope, I'm not a young man. My age…I may not always be able to be ready when you are. Someday, we may not be able to make love but once a night. Someday, I may have to look into medication."

Her eyes were filled with nothing but kindness as she reached out and grasped his neck within her hands. "That doesn't matter to me. All that matters is that we love each other. And, besides that, someday is not today." She reached down and caressed his thigh. Sure enough, he responded.

He smiled up at her. "So where were we again?"

Penny's eye twinkled. "Well let's see. I was right about here." She scooted up the bed and lay on her back. Sheldon curled up next to her. "You were kissing my neck, and it was _really_ good, and your hand was just about here." She took his hand, positioning it just slightly under the bottom of her shirt.

Sheldon groaned. "It's starting to come back to me. I think I was getting ready to do this." He carefully nibbled on her throat. "And this." He reached down and pulled her shirt up over her head.

"I love you Penny McKinnon."

"I love you Sheldon Cooper."


End file.
